Shutter Fancy
by Troublesome Dragon
Summary: I felt that I really hadn't changed all that much. I had the same job although my boss doesn't threaten to fire me near as much as he used to.I did the same things every week, and I still loved Jack Atlus. Most of all, I still waited for him.
1. Hollow

Hollow

It's awkward really, spending years routing for someone and finding yourself cheering for someone else. I love Jack. I really do. I did mean to wait forever if I needed too, no idea why but the idea of eternity entices me. So, I committed to it.

I happily watched all his matches from afar, at first. So, for a while, the glass screen turned into my only companion. Long hours at the office and all, I needed the distraction when he left. The TV, however, does not respond to you, no matter how much you want it to.

I found a bit of a breather from my melancholy lifestyle from an unexpected source. The other girls were waiting too. We used to bicker a lot before. Now, I guess, waiting alone gets lonely. So, every week we met at the Blue Eyes Mountain Café. We talked about how things were going and how he's doing. Yet, despite our one common interest, we didn't talk about him much. He won a lot. He didn't call so that's as much as any of us could report.

This cycle went on for about a year. Our last two meetings changed the dynamic of our gatherings considerably First, Mikage reported she went on a date. We didn't smite her or anything. We were just really surprised. Really, she used to intimidate me some. She knew so much more about Jack than I did. To have her announce such an event, it made an impact. I don't really remember the details. Some cop from her division, it didn't matter. She promised to still meet up with us. I would not have though much more about it. The next week though, I really started to panic. Stephanie announced she planned to attend a university a few hours from the city. She'd still come of course, once a week, wouldn't be too much of a strain for her. I smiled and congratulated and kept my opinions to myself.

It was safe to say we were friends at this point, and yet, I felt that I really hadn't changed all that much. I started to wonder if I should have. I had the same job although my boss doesn't threaten to fire me near as much as he used to. I did the same things every week, and I still loved Jack Atlus. Most of all, I was still waiting for him. Yet, my dear rivals appeared to have lost faith.

I couldn't just stop. I didn't just stop. Actually, nothing much of consequence occurred because my friends found some happiness all their own. Nothing changed until someone knocked on my door, by mistake no less. I never had company. Okay, once in a blue moon, Misty squeezed me into her schedule, but that's besides the point. She always called first. This was unprecedented. Nice person that I am, I answered anyway, if only to tell them they were knocking on the wrong door. To my surprise, I recognized the person. Most people in this city would have, actually.

"Yusei, " I mouthed, and reacted in my usually hokey meandering way, almost falling on him in my surprise, He caught on fast that he had the wrong door, but being the nice man that he was, he apologized profusely.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, looking for an old friend of mine, Yanagi. He wasn't very clear about the instructions to his place, always telling some story. " He rubbed the back of his head, sensing the situation dragging longer than it needed to. He didn't seem to remember me. Why would he? He wasn't heavily privy to my old situation with Jack and most of what I did know about him came from the article that Stephanie so handily wiped from my computer with her coffee spill. I vaguely mumbled an acceptance and that would have ended the whole affair if he hadn't peeked inside.

"Your TV is broken, " he stated plainly. There was a giant crack where I threw the remote. Okay, I may not have taken the last two days as well as I've been saying. Apparently, the state of my apartment switched him into some sort of mechanic mode. Despite his scientist gig, he can't ignore the urge to fix things.

"I can fix it." He offered, already moving inside. I didn't stop him. It would be nice to have the TV fixed.

"Thanks," I answered, a bit weary on how he noticed the broken dish washer. Not surprising, since I never seem to be able to announce my scoops, the amount of money I could manage didn't cover everything, and mechanics don't usually offer to fix it for free.

"You sure your friend won't mind you being late? I wouldn't want to take advantage." I asked him, rolling a spare pen on my fingertips. His eyes widened a fraction in remembrance. He immediately got his phone out and explained to his friend that he would have to reschedule. Oh my, my apartment couldn't be that broken could it?

"I took care of it." He addressed me, unaware on how adept I was at ease dropping. He got to work inspecting the entire area. I wondered if it would be too much to ask for an interview while he basically fixed my entire apartment. I tried to casually pitch the idea to him. To my dismay, he had an entire list of parts that he would likely pay for himself, free of charge. I couldn't do that to a friend of Jacks'.

"You really don't have to spend any money." I protested. I couldn't possibly pay him back, unless he wanted good press. Then again, the man hardly ever presented himself in public, part of the reason I wanted the interview.

"It's no problem. I'll be back in a bit with some parts." He informed me as he headed out the door. He hesitated at the edge of the door frame, until he looked back at me and asked.

"How did everything get so broken?" He wondered. The question bothered me. I could recall a few instances of broken appliances, but mostly, I could only think of one response.

"I don't know. Stuff tends to pile up sometimes." I remarked hesitantly. I pondered if mechanics had the same inclinations to judge their clients lives as Hairstylists do.

"I see," He replied. His expression softened some. I really didn't want to know what he was thinking. He made his exit with quick purposeful steps.

The arrangement put me in a bit of a pickle. I had forgotten about work completely. I needed to head out thirty minutes ago. The phone rang further driving the point home.

"Carly, forget the new stadium's opening. Sherrie LeBlanc, d-wheel competitor of the European circuit, been spotted ten minutes from where you are, get a statement." My boss yelled in his usual expectant manner. Right, It's not like I haven't left yet. I kept looking from the door to my phone. I couldn't just leave him locked out. I decided to leave the door unlocked. The neighborhood tended to attract the unscrupulous crowd, but it would certainly be fine for the few minutes I needed. I jotted down a quick note to my unexpected guest and ran out.

I managed to catch her before she rode out of her d-wheel. She might have ridden out of my reach, but how bout it. She said she recognized me. I'm not entirely sure why any member of Team 5d's, let alone Jack would have me come up in conversation during the whole arc cradle thing. I don't think Jack would have brought me up recently. I don't care. I got an interview ! Needless to say, I had a delicious scoop which would with any luck have my boss forgive me for missing the event completely. Unfortunately, my luck never lasts.

When I returned, I found my visitor sitting cross legged in my empty apartment, making plans. I really thought that it would be fine for a few minutes. I could not have friend of Jacks' feel sorry for me because I left the door open. I decided the time had come to politely kick him out.

"You accidentally left the door unlocked." He replied calmly, not looking up from his current sketches. I nodded, unsure why I shut my mouth all of a sudden. I normally didn't have a problem running it.

"Right, accidentally." I mumbled unconvincingly. I really, really, didn't want to blame one of Jacks' friends for getting robbed. Especially since, one of them used to do it for a living. I didn't think it was Yusei but better safe than sorry. He raised an eyebrow at the comment but kept on sketching. I tapped his shoulder, wanting to stop him before he recreated the Sistine chapel or anything like that for foolish little old me.

"You know you could go to your friends now. There's nothing here left to fix." I spoke up, and for a minute, he stopped and looked up at me. Those blue eyes were intense but not in a scary sort a way like Jack's purple ones. Maybe Jack's eyes weren't scary. Enraged? Passionate? Definitely. Now, These big blues looked right through you like a particularly strong x-ray.

"You left the door open for me." He argued simply. He pieced me together right quick. Dammit no, it's not your fault. Wait, I should probably say that out loud.

"Dammit no, it's not your fault." I huffed. I couldn't condemn a friend of Jack's to rebuild my place that got robbed out of my stupidity. I happened to be self sufficient and if all I was left with was a bed and my camera, I could live. Oh shoot, my computer ! I could still go to the local library to type of reports. There problem solved.

"Based on what I saw earlier, these are the things you're missing?" He ignored my previous comment. I could use a new computer. Exploitation! Exploitation! Put the list down.

"I can buy the stuff back later." I objected, and he smiled. I hoped it was one of acceptance, but he got me, because anyone that could keep up with Jack should be pretty good at standing there ground.

"Do you have the money?" He inquired knowingly. I slumped visibly, and shook my head.

"Did I miss anything from the list that you need?" He insisted, and he's just so damn persistent. Just like. . . I brushed the thought aside. I glanced at the list. Ah, what I pain, the computer wasn't on it.

Most of the items written where things out in the open. He must have a photographic memory or at least a decent memory. I jotted a few things down and placed the computer at the bottom of the list, embarrassed. He looked at the added items and nodded to himself. When he saw the last item, he wasn't angry if anything he was excited.

"I can build you a nice computer actually. A lot cheaper than you might think. Anything in particular you'd like it to do? A Color? More speed or memory? A nice compromise of both?" He chattered amiably. Oh boy, I really wasn't overly informed on that sort of thing, but shamefully, I knew full well what color I wanted.

"Erm, purple?" I answered, knowing I probably killed some of his original enthusiasm. He recorded my answer and sought no other info. He probably built this sort of thing for its own sake all the time. Really, I practically roped an entire make over for the place. This is turning into something much larger than I had anticipated. My stomach grumbled so I inched to the fridge where I found . . . nothing. What do you know? The observant one noticed.

"I'll stop by the grocery store." He declared immediately. I banged my head on the fridge door some. I really couldn't have such a nice person do everything for me.

"You don't have to do that." I mumbled. My lips loosely on my crude drawing of fortune fairy En.

"I know what it's like to go hungry. Let me do this for you." He replied in earnest. Never mind, white flag, I surrender. I couldn't argue with a former orphan about hunger.

"Okay." I muttered, deciding to take residence on the carpet. I entertained the notion that maybe he did know who I was. I'm not sure if my guilt would subside or not with that info.

"What's your name? I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier. I got you into quite a scenario." He requested, crouching down to my eye level. So much for knowing me, there was one thing I didn't mind getting from him.

"Carly Nagisa, reporter, could I get an interview?" I responded sweetly. He considered the idea. His eye subtly trailing the empty room. Yes, guilt interview.

"Sure, I did cause you a lot of trouble." He admitted, although his tone implied his reluctance. For a man holding the coveted title of King, he didn't like to flaunt it, near as much as Jack used to and would once he conquered the European circuits.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll be picking up some groceries and smaller things on the list at the store." He proclaimed getting up. I nodded, beyond attempting to talk him out of helping me. With any luck, which assumed that I would not tumble down the stairs and break my ankle at some point, he would be done building everything within a week. Okay, except, the computer possibly. Still, his reputation preceded him. Satellite provided a limited curriculum at best for its in habitants. He built Fortune within a few years. I personally liked that name for the machine. The guy knew his way around electronics certainly.

I watched him go out the door. Frankly, I don't know what to make of the new King. He practically went above and beyond for me, a stranger for all intents and purposes. A small part of me hissed that Jack never bothered with even a phone call. His friend is out buying me groceries for Pete sake. It's not fair to compare them. They're polar opposites. Besides, once the string of coincidences ended, my interaction with Yusei would cease. Jack, might, would come back for me. My phone rang again.

"I'm not working overtime anymore." I answered and hung up promptly. I'm really not in the mood to take on more work. I had plenty of distractions already.


	2. The Ramen Test

The Ramen Test

A few things ran through my mind while Yusei went out for groceries. One, the robbers outdid themselves picking the place clean. Anything not firmly attached to the place was gone. Their efficiency astounded me. Normally robbers can't grab more than one or two valuable objects in an impromptu robbery, this group made great time in getting everything out before either Yusei or I returned. Two, finding the perps and getting an interview would make for a great scoop, especially if I caught them, but I didn't have Jack for back up anymore. A nagging feeling emerged as well as a distinct fear on venturing on a dangerous mission solo. I used to all the time but something nondescript made me second guess myself. Besides, if they even stole the food, some people could be trying to get by in the best way they know how. The merging of the city couldn't fix everything at once.

My stomach growled louder. Three, I really, really, hoped he brought back something tasty. The door swung open gently. Revealing, the savior of New Domino city holding serval bags including a few visible toiletries which must have been embarrassing to purchase. He put the bags down on the counter and pulled out two Ramen Cups. Red Demon's Noodle to be exact, Jack made a very fine point on making his own real brand of Ramen. I should've guessed he might be familiar with the brand.

"Jack left a bunch of these behind when he moved out, muttering something about a cart load of stuff to take. I guess he couldn't take everything he loved with him," Yusei explained while beginning to make the Ramen. I laughed, loudly and nervously. Yeah, I must fall under the Ramen category quite nicely. Great and filling when convenient but easily disposable or left for someone else to consume, err wait, I think I'm taking the Ramen metaphor a bit too seriously. Anyway, Jack wouldn't toss me out like leftover Ramen. When Jack gets bent on a goal, he gets it done. If my klutzy natured distracted from his return to king hood, well, he needed time, and I could give him that. Oh wait, what did Yusei say?

"I, kind of, got addicted to them. I've been buying them ever since," He admitted sheepishly. Okay, I see. He's embarrassed that he likes it. I suppose buying a long time friends merchandise is kinda odd. But, I buy the stuff occasionally. I would honestly buy it fairly regularly if only for my fondness of Jack. It's just Ramen named after a fiery behemoth happens to be absurdly spicy. My tongue gets all hot and bothered, and I start running around the room like a maniac.

"Here, I figured, after everything, you wouldn't be in the mood to cook," Yusei politely offered me one of the cups. Now, I know to him this is not a big deal. But he just shared his freaking Ramen, Jack never shared his. What are you doing Carly? He said he liked it, but I doubt that he'd fight to the death for Ramen like Jack would. I. . . I'm gonna have to say no so I don't look like a buffoon running around my empty apartment.

"Crow and I used to share Ramen when we were little," He divulged, looking a little misty eyed, slurping on the Ramen. Apparently, Jack's love of Ramen wasn't singular but spread to his entire childhood entourage. When they were young and living in Satellite, Ramen made for an affordable feast. Yusei noticed that my fingers hovered over the cup, hesitant.

" It's a nice memory. I want to share this with you. I've kept in touch with many of my old friends, but truthfully, you're my first new one." He elaborated resulting in severe gut wrenching on my part. Egads, how can I say no to friendship Ramen? It's a wonder anyone ever disagreed with Yusei. I bet he could talk anyone out of anything. Bottoms up, at least the apartment is empty so I won't bump into anything except Yusei maybe.

I swallowed a decent portion, and as I predicted, my low tolerance to spices kicked in, scorching and scalding, no, not any less potent than the other times. To make matters worse, I swallowed way too fast. I fanned my poor abused tongue with my panicking hands. It didn't take me long to start running around infinitely. Experienced as I was dealing with my innate imbalance, it's a miracle I didn't crash into the four walls or the kitchen counter in my haste.

Water, need water, need cup for water. Ah, did he bring one? I scrambled flipping through the bags for cups. My fingers couldn't seem to keep from tangling with the plastic. My whole face must be flushed from the incident. Sucking in air in an effort to cool down probably wasn't doing me any favors in that department. Oh dear, what if I stop breathing, can you die from spicy noodles? No, I refuse to be sent to an early grave by a lowly cup.

On the brink of tears from the small dose of spicy goodness, the wanted cup magically made its way to my hand. That's wrong. Yusei observed my freak out in momentary shock. You know the type where you don't expect the crazy lady to throw cats at you. This lasted as long as I darted along the apartment, he soon snatched a cup from the correct bag and filled it with water because, you know, he has sense to do that first before running across the room. I chugged said water down as if it was the elixir of life itself. I panted briefly, glad to be released from my temporary insanity. As ridiculous as giving it another go may sound, I grabbed the cup again. My plan involved keeping the water handy and finishing the noodles, no way I'd insult him by ignoring his request. A dumbfounded look appeared when I continued the meal. The look resembled what I assumed showed on his face when he witnessed my earlier behavior. This guy didn't get stumped often. Must be a new experience.

"You don't need to finish that," He insisted, confiscating the noodles while I drowned myself with more water. I wouldn't have him stop me so I reached for them. I can't abandon bonding noodles. I'm almost done!

"But their friendship noodles," I begged, reminding him of his own words. I learned a very important personality trait that Yusei has from this whole encounter. The once part time mechanic held a strong sense of responsibility. If he even remotely thinks he did something wrong, he finds a way to take care of it. This makes me very distressed because generally I get hurt a lot and often for no good reason. Hanging around me might drive him insane. If he were more discriminating about it, the new king's remorse would make more sense if he had accidentally set me on fire for example. Things might be okay. No one forced me to eat the noodles. He blamed himself as if he personally poured the spicy noodles down my throat which I usually watered down severely before it ever reached my lips.

Oh Yusei, it's not your fault. I'm horribly sentimental. He placed a hand over his face, debating whether the urge to return the noodles should be answered or not. Finally, he uncovered his face and stared at the half that remained. He stood there for a minute or two before an idea struck him. You can tell because his face lit up as if a pair of double AA batteries were inserted in him.

Then, the horribly awkward situation made a turn for the better. He smiled at me. Maybe, it was just that handsome men don't tend to smile at me, but my knees wobbled some. I'm happy to report that no falling occurred though. What he did next though, now, that touched my heart that man finished the Red Demon Noodles like it wasn't the charcoal of hell.

"There, we shared our meal together, just like Crow and I did in the old days. Friends?" He concluded, holding out his hand. I took it, and shook vigorously. The guy really went out of his way to make people happy. I have a feeling were going to get along great.

Pleased, he set out to help me put up the groceries he bought for me. I didn't even protest when he helped this time. A comfortable silence settled in, much different from the solitary one that I'd grown accustomed to. It was just nice having someone else around. Sadly, as easily as he came into my life today, he went out. He glanced at my plain window which revealed the dark sky and decided that the time had come to part for the day. I escorted him to the door, and I'm sorry to say that I accidentally wiped the smile from his face.

"Next time, we'll get the interview done." I reminded him excitedly. I needed time to prepare of course, or I would have bombarded him with questions today. It was a faint and subtle change in his demeanor, but I caught it. Friendly to guarded, tomorrow, I'd simply be the reporter, and he'd be the king, the savior, and as was quickly becoming popular, the legendary duelist of New Domino. He nodded nonetheless.

As he walked off, I did not fret about the encounter. For one, I successfully caused Jack to pour his heart out once. My own heart decided that I should leave him be. Watching Yusei today, I saw an open and good heart. Heck, I'm sure had I yelled loud enough all those years before, he would have stopped running to roll my little yellow car off me. So, with any luck, the next day would not be burdened with any more disasters. This scoop will be mine.

**Yes, sometimes formatting becomes an issue with me. The way the screen stretches can make the document look off. I also got into the habit of making a new paragraph when a character is speaking. It's cleaner that way. It's never a giant issue with people so I try my best and move on as far as formatting goes. I originally planned writing this much sooner, but Summer can be distracting. Also, part of what I still liked about the Wrpg season was the Ramen episodes which is likely why this expanded enough to get its own chapter but the interview shall be next. Besides, Jack loves Ramen so its a big deal.** (**:**


	3. Strains

Strains

I swallowed the accumulating saliva in my mouth. It tasted faintly of my earlier cup of Blue Eyes Mountain coffee. I had expected another home visit from my odd acquaintance, but no, he dearly, meant to make the interview formal. I received a lovely notarized note advising me to head to his place of work. Yeah, no problem, it's just a giant building located in an area that once served as the city's security sector. I'm not getting any potentially bad vibes from the place or anything. Nothing would keep me away though. A reporter's charm runs through my veins. Sort of, I dressed in my usual attire, got my trusty camera along with my temporary companion, the notepad and went to unlock this fortunate scoop. Why not match the seriousness of the ordeal? No pant suit would make me a match for that steely stare of his. My victories stem from babbling along anyway. I'd play things by ear.

Customs, despite my previous woes, proved simple. The guards waved me in and escorted me up the elevator to Yusei's office. The place had the clean feel of a modern building. You know where you swipe your fingers on the rail and some robot pops out of nowhere and wipes off your finger print. It was that sort of impressive, but at the same time, the area had a rudimentary simplicity to it, squared furniture, straight lines, and ninety degree angles. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Like every generic imposing area, it lacked the appeal of the grungy downtown that first attracted me to the big city: vibrant, rustic, and alive. Of course, once I saw inside of Yusei's office, I found his organized chaos rather amusing. Schematics hung over the walls, pictures of various degrees or artistry where hung between them, most likely from the pair of ten-year-old twins that used to shadow him. Tools laid strewn about, daring me to trip over them. The only neat area was his desk which contained a picture of team 5ds in the corner. He furiously drew up yet another blue print. Eventually, he tore his eyes away from his work as he noticed me approaching.

"Miss Nasiga," He greeted as stoic as any statue. Patiently, he waited for me to traverse the clever traps designed to make me fall backwards and rolled up his project in the process. Making it past the perilous mess, I returned the exchange.

"Mr. Fudo," I piped up cheerfully and clapped my hands together. I actually wouldn't mind calling him that all the time. Let's have lunch again Mr. Fudo. I came as soon as I could, Mr. Fudo. The reactor was about to explode Mr. Fudo! Okay, enough of that, did I just see him blush? He likely associates the namesake with his father. Serves him right. He started it.

"You came for the interview?" He inquired as if he hadn't met me yesterday. His tone reminded me of a little kid not wanting to take the cherry medicine. Unperturbed, I nodded and pretended to write something down which caused him to shift uncomfortably, well, being run down by a mob of reporters on your first day as king will do that to you. Taking action, I figured that I'd ease his fears using a language all duelists understand. I fished out my fortune deck from my pocket and shuffled it. Yusei raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of my current actions.

"Take the top card and It'll tell you your fortune for today." I explained, and he blinked in surprise. He did as asked, examining the card curiously. He read out the fortune description.

"Your fortune the day you draw this card is super happy. All your wishes will come true." He announced, and my plan appeared to work as he began forming a smile in spite of himself. He fingered Fortune Fairy Hikari thoughtfully before returning her.

" I must say I've never met anyone quite like you." He stated cryptically without explanation. I can't be so odd. He befriended the former Black Rose Witch after all. This probably doesn't make the top five strangest things that happened to him. No matter, he might actually answer my questions now. Except instead of reading from my carefully picked list, I stupidly followed a hunch, damn, my reporter instincts.

"Do you think about your father a lot?" I spit out uselessly as he only clammed up again. He slid open the drawer that contained his current blue print and resumed working on it. Ouch, not even worth his full attention anymore. Before the pencil tip touched the paper, he went ahead and shot me down.

"Sometimes," He muttered, slipping into work mode. I kind of felt horrible for bringing it up, so, I did what I did best when I drag myself into these situations. I beg for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, but please, know that I would never print anything you would be uncomfortable with. That wasn't even one of my interview questions. I was satisfying my own curiosity." For a few minutes, no one uttered a word, we stared at each other which unfortunately meant I had to stare into his steely eyes. Eeep, I better change the subject quick. He beat me to it. He closed his eyes deflating somewhat after the high tension. He began in a tone that much to my displeasure reminded me of when Jack scolded me.

"Carly," He addressed me. Is it sad that I'm excited that he used my first name? I must be doing something right. Then, a worker walked in with his lunch. Oh my, how the time has gone. He took his meal and thanked the girl for heating it up for him. Once the door swung closed, he stared longingly into the cup before reaching a decision. Without warning, he set it in front of me.

"Eat it," He ordered simply. Oh dear, he wants to kill me. The request was odd. He practically begged me to spit it out yesterday. I frankly have no idea what's running through his head. Maybe, it's a test of loyalty. Well, it's not undoable. Am I begging for bumps and bruises? Yes.

After thirty seconds of puzzling over why, I picked up the cup and turned it in my hands. In this mine field, my strategy had serious draw backs. One, once I bolted up, I was almost guaranteed to crash into something. This was important though. I can see he's trying to find something in me, something that might just be found in the bottom of a noodle cup. Vaguely, an echo of a memory voiced that I take punishment pretty well. I'd have to agree. Slurping down the poisonous broth, the familiar burning spiraled from my throat. I don't seem to learn. Way too much at once, and the water cooler was all the way down the hall. I grabbed my neck to ease the stinging. Reeling from the firework party in my mouth, I jerked backwards and fell out of my chair.

Needless to say, he changed his tune really quick. He jumped over his desk and pulled me up. If I weren't so dizzy, I'd be impressed by that. Holding me up, he straightened the chair while trying not to look me in the eye. He sat me down, and I let him. I didn't hit my head too hard, but I wasn't risking trying to talk yet. He ran out of the room and slammed the door on his way out.

My hope was placed on him bringing me water. Water, Yusei. Water, please. I tried to do the math for how long that would take. He returned before I calculated an exact number, a little under two minutes I think. His beforehand knowledge of my current ailments caused him to bring twelve full tiny paper cups from the water dispenser. The cups were the size of my thumb, and I downed each one in rapid succession like Tequila shots. Each felt like a dab of rain falling into the desert of my tongue. The immediate intolerable spice escaped me, and there were only pin pricks of discomfort left. Despite how rude it would be to get up and leave for a bit, I could use another tequila shot. Water, I meant water.

When I made a motion to get up, I felt a firm grip keep me in place. The sensation was familiar. It put me on high alert. I hated being cornered, because . . . Maybe, he had a good reason. I hadn't really faced him since he returned to his office. I looked up at him to see what the hold up was. Worry epitomized his face. It was like I metaphorically crashed into his glassy barrier and broke it.

"I'm sorry. I'll get you some more water." He promised as he raced down the hall like my life depended on it. I'm kind of embarrassed for me. This wasn't how I pictured the interview going at all. Yusei, I'm just clumsy I swear. I guess I can see how he'd start to feel indebted. Every time I see him, something tends to go awry, but it's only been twice. My track record for running into trouble far surpasses any coincidental influence contact with Yusei might have.

He arrived triumphantly with another twelve cups. He placed them down evenly in front of me. I briefly considered telling him that he could have asked his assistant bring me water. Nah, Yusei was trying to be my friend. As I drank my fill, he scooted his rolly chair beside mine. He watched me while I finished cups one through five. When I was done, I noticed the distance between us lessen considerably so close that I practically breathed on him. I considered rolling away, but rather swiftly, he captured me in a tight hold.

A hug, I got a hug. In my head, I connected that spicy noodles plus Yusei equals love. I shouldn't test that theory though. My tongue couldn't take it. I returned the gesture wrapping my arms around him. I hit a rather uncomfortable conclusion from the contact. My arms felt his finely sculpted rock solid body and didn't hate it. You don't forget that sort of info, especially tied in with the faint mechanical smell on him. It reminded me of old downtown and was welcomed in the oppressively sterilized building. The contact was so open and unexpected and missed. No one has held me since . . . I couldn't remember. Maybe, last holiday with the folks, but this was a man, a handsome one. I observed a different sort of warmth rush through my cheeks. Defensively, I pictured a kitten playing with yarn to prevent myself from over thinking the situation.

"I wanted to know if you were really my friend or just a reporter looking for an exclusive interview. I might as well have fed you poison. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you." He explained, and I nodded even if he technically couldn't see that. Within a few seconds, he unhanded me slowly, retreating further into his chair. I took it as a sign to do the same. My arms loosened withdrawing obediently while enjoying the final examination of Yusei chest. I berated myself intensely. You can have nighttime dreams of having Jack's children later if you're so deprived. You're on the clock, ask something, anything. The other girls and I should totally start giving each other hugs during our weekly meetings. I'm obviously not getting enough attention.

I coughed as I tried to disperse my stirred emotions. He patted my back which was not helping me at the moment. Then, his expression reflected the turning of his highly sophisticated brain. He lifted himself off the chair and paced exactly three times before snapping his fingers.

"As you know, most people have a general idea of what happened with the three emperors." He stated, and my shoulder's slumped. I was expecting genius and he gave me an obvious observation.

"It was televised." I reminded him, not sure if he was heading anywhere with his current line of thought. Truthfully, I had planned to ask what he did nowadays in the interview. Maybe that sort of ambition led me to get hurt so much. He nodded and continued, no less enthused than before my reply.

"Yes, but very few people know that I had a sort of vacation that year if you could call it that." He answered with a smirk. My eyes were wide. Could it be that a scoop would not escape from my grasp for once? I held my pen ready.

" I visited Crash Town, now known as Satisfaction Town," He continued, and I wrote both these names down seeking further context as far as their importance. He drummed his fingers on the desk and glanced at me. Finally, he relayed his adventure.

"I went to help a friend and sealed a lot of old wounds in the process. It's an exciting tale with guns, mines, and coffins. One, I'm sure you'd appreciate." He enticed me, and I caught myself leaning forward in anticipation. I pouted when he stopped abruptly. He's stringing me along. Tell me already. He smiled at me again, and I sipped some water from one of the remaining cups to distract myself.

"I need your help. He currently runs the town and could use some help rebuilding, some publicity wouldn't hurt that effort. You could interview him, and I'd supply any details that might escape him," The idea sounded wonderful, but I sensed a catch coming.

"I'd have to contact him first which is a challenge in that town. I'm afraid that today is out of the question." Yusei let me know earnestly which wasn't a complete let down. My boss would fill up the days before then with plenty of work.

"In exchange, I want to ask you some questions." He remarked with undisguised interest. My glasses nearly fell off as I waved my hands frantically in protest. I didn't want to be under a microscope. The whole thing resembled a background check like I had something to hide. He grabbed my hand, and it seemed like a lot of close contact for the day. I rose as he pulled me forward. Wait, we were heading out of the office. Didn't he want to ask me some questions?

"Yusei, where are we going?" I asked as we walked ever closer to the elevator. I still stumbled along, and he didn't stop. However, annoyingly, he was suddenly very talkative.

"My place, It's time to make you a bed. Sleeping on the floor is starting to affect your sleeping pattern isn't it?" He replied astutely. Wait, how does he figure these things out. I didn't rub my sore back or anything obvious like that in his office.

"Do I look that tired?" I answered with more of a raspy voice than I meant to. Inside the elevator, he shook his head.

" I couldn't check the usual way. Your eyes are well hidden under those glasses, but the way a person moves tells a lot about them." He explained and I straightened up accordingly. I, at least, wanted the illusion of not being a complete open book. I pushed two of my fingers together nervously and tried to weasel out of my interrogation.

" You'll be too busy to ask any questions then?" I asked to test the waters. He draped his arm over my shoulder like a personal restraint. Nope, I wasn't getting out of this.

"You can keep me company while I work. I can get to know you better that way." He instructed as we walked out of the elevator. Whoever witnessed it would have seen me horrified. Sure, it sounded reasonable, but he looked like he had declared a checkmate. I cheered and encouraged others. I didn't like the attention on me.

A short walk to the garage led us to his pride and joy. The red d-wheeler sparkled and shined like new. By now, the machine held none of its original parts, but the design stayed the same, white stripe and all. He stroked the bike lovingly and climbed on. He waved me forward. I had been in the Wheel of Fortune before so riding on the vehicle didn't bother me, yet this felt like I might be crossing some line. Would Jack honestly care if I rode on another guys bike? No, I'm overreacting. I can't contact Jack at all anyway. There was no method to reach him and so far, no effort to check on me. On top of that, Yusei and Jack were friends.

I joined him as I heard a vague lecture on safety and held on tight. The bike wasn't meant to hold more than one, but since he didn't trust me to hold onto the side, we were squeezed together close. Hold it together, Carly. Go to the kitty place, pretty, pretty kittens pouncing on some shoe. The scenery blurred together, shifting slightly on turns. He navigated with ease, perfectly at home traveling at high speeds. The switch controlling Yusei's voice box was off. He hadn't spoken since he threatened to talk me to death.

The ride was short lived. The guy must know a lot of short cuts that couldn't have been more than five minutes. Yusei parked in front of Poppo Time, his long standing humble abode. It held a deserted air with the others gone and all, not even Zora could be seen. When Yusei attempted to stand, my arms hadn't quite let go of him. Naughty arms. Instead of wrenching my arms apart, he used his arms to secure me and pulled us both off his bike. He stumbled slightly from our combined weight but managed to maintain his balance and keep us standing. No, I still hadn't let go. I unlatched my arms which had the resistance of a rusted pair of scissors.

"Not used to riding a d-wheeler?" He asked patting my back. I shook my head no. He tried again.

"Rode too fast?" He suggested while he opened the garage and sheltered the cherry coated vehicle inside. I shook my head again. As long as I was in my right mind, I would not admit that I felt the fuzzies when we touched. I followed, saddened by the echo I heard. The place had changed since my one and only visit. The overcrowded home had been plagued with bikes, tangles of wires, and hoards of bustling happy people. Now, there was one lone man and a bike. The only evidence of mechanical ingenuity stemmed from the planks of wood destined to become my bed and an old timey red tool box.

"You seem tight lipped all of a sudden. You all right?" Yusei observed.

"Yeah, this place is kind of . . ." I trailed off, wait that was a bad place to trail off. He'll think I don't like the big old garage.

"Empty," Yusei finished passively. He crossed the previously vacant parking area and sat down by the wood planks.

"I don't get as many visitors as I used to." He confided, setting up his tools. I wondered if Yusei was suffering from empty nest syndrome. He used to take care of a lot of people. I must be a sorry replacement for them all.

"I'm here," I declared. Smooth Carly, real smooth, he knew that. He chuckled a little at my response. He lifted up a plank and spun it around. Then, he looked between me and the pile as if a diagram of what I wanted would magically form in his head. After a few minutes of this, he finally approached me.

"I have a few ideas, but is there anything you want or don't want in particular?" He offered rather unsure of how open I was to new ideas. I, for one, didn't care as long as it didn't fall apart when I got on it. I, probably, shouldn't tell him my old bed did that a lot. I might get an extended warranty from him or something.

"No, you can build whatever you like provided that I can sleep in it." I told him, and he nodded and continued to spin the board, okay, maybe, some direction wouldn't hurt. He grew bored of the game after awhile and turned to me.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions." He decided, and I tensed a little. Yusei hadn't forgotten our little deal then.

"Do you fall from the bed often?" He inquired, and my mouth hung open. Oh, he wanted a brief idea of my sleeping habits. He was a thorough mechanic. I'd give him that.

" I've fallen a couple of times," I admitted sheepishly. He digested the information and carried on.

"Did you have a headboard? And did you bump your head on it at any point?" He insisted in a slightly accusing manner. I wanted to say no to prove a point, but a few less bumps on the head would be great.

"Yes and yes," I mumbled grumpily. So what if I fell out of a chair today and if I was squished under a yellow cab the day we met, I'm not a complete klutz.

"I'll need different material." He muttered, packing up the wood. Am I only getting a mattress or something? I accompanied him, and he dragged out some sort of thick fabric, thinner wood strips, and a staple gun. I peeked down curiously.

"I had many many different ideas." He restated showing me some of his sketches. I perused through them.

"I had no idea there were so many ways to make a bed," I marveled although I wondered if a couple were structurally sound. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He manipulated the wood like a pro. As he continued a general pattern, I assumed more quiet time was in order.

"Where are you from?" He implored, not losing focus on his task, but ruining my hopes that I'd come out of this unscathed. I will indulge the interrogation. Why continue the mystery? There was no thrilling aha moment at the end of my tale. I'm not someone who changes in a blink of an eye. A little conversation would be bearable. I smoothed my hair, and responded in the simplest manner possible.

"From a small town, I came to New Domino city when I was old enough, " I confessed shrewdly. No need to give him directions to mom and dad's place, he might actually visit. He frowned at the vague answer. He choose not to push the subject, but continued the onslaught.

"Do you have friends in town?" He questioned with an expectant look. Translation, give me something to work with. I squeezed my fingers tighter in my lap. I don't suppose my sources count for anything?

" A few, we meet up at a café in town once a week. I also have one friend that travels a lot, and one that kind of left the country," I informed him. Not sure why I bothered mentioning the others, can I even classify Jack as both a friend and an, erm, companion? We went on a date once and saw each other off and on during the WRPG. So which one? You know what, he was in both categories, so there.

"I see. Names?" He demanded brusquely although he seemed pleased by the longer reply. Oh, why do I have to dish out juicy details? During the interview, he rescheduled on me, and technically passed me off to his friend. I'd counter, but I know his friend's names. Why won't I admit that I indirectly know him? I like this beginning better for us, a new less awkward and albeit only somewhat guiltless start. For some odd reason, I have a sort of premonition that involving Jack would make things more complicated.

" Mikage and Stephanie, nameless, and nameless," I revealed somewhat. He scowled at me. Pfft, he has no idea how difficult he is to interview. I'm not sure our previous interaction counted at all. I rarely take the coward's way out in these situations, yet I wanted his mind away from my super model acquaintance and his close friend.

"If I say their names, then, they're truly gone," I whimpered, misty eyed. Oh Misty, hey, do not guilt yourself. She's been exchanging letters with someone for a while. Misty would most likely try to set us up. Then, Jack would probably find out somehow. While my brain fought furiously not to blab, I received the second hug of the day. Yay. To make my story believable, I clung to him as if my life depended on it and dried sobbed a little. Good Carly, now start to compose yourself in three, two, one.

"I've had a hard time on my own too. It's okay. The important thing is that their happy and a part of you is always with them," He explained touchingly. Your going to whatever bad place is reserved for you, Carly. I reprimanded myself severely. I'm such an awful person.

"Uhuh," I said, remarkably still producing fake tears. I hadn't let go yet either. I should. It's like I told him that I used to be an orphan too. You don't suggest something like that. There's a chance that I'm exaggerating. My problems were multiplying in the process. The tears wouldn't stop when I ordered them too.

I must have been blubbering mess for a chunk of time because I think I missed the bed being finished. I was on very pliable material. Why am I even crying anymore? Admit that nothing was bothering you, and he'll forgive you. Soon, I became coiled in deceitfully soft sheets. Hurry, before it's a long term lie.

"Misty always travels." I shouted. The fabric shifted and slipped off my body some as Yusei attempted to meet my eye. My face burned like newly lit incense when I realized he was with me this entire time. He nodded, unperturbed by the new information. I shook my head and hit him with my closed fist. I didn't want to let myself off the hook. I lied to him. He should be upset.

"I learned another of your friend's names." He reassured me while inducting a shoulder squeeze. Then, he derailed my efforts like a train.

"You didn't mention nameless person number two and were hesitant to name person number one so I assume you're not glad either of them is gone, a part of you will always want them to come back to you." He insisted, and I choked up. I'm not sad. I'm a really good actor. Stupid traitorous tears.

We sat there a while in the mini cocoon. It reminded me of an egg with its curvature, the inside felt like a pillow barricade, no nicks and scratches in here. Eventually, he shook me gently and alerted me of the late hour. I yawned. I see one huge flaw in this bed. I'll never want to leave it, and I don't have an alarm clock yet. Groggily, I obeyed blindly as he directed me to a nearby bench.

"Carly, I'm taking you home. I called in some favors from former public security members to deliver your bed. We'll meet them at your apartment," He said slowly, unless my mind was playing tricks. I understood the gist of the message, or I thought I did.

"My bed," I declared, and he laughed a little. I began floating and realized the ceiling had a lot of beams. I heard ringing all of a sudden too so I must be tired as sin.

"Yes Aki. No, I haven't been avoiding you. There were circumstances." Yusei beseeched the voice on the other line. My ride got bumpy as he juggled me and the phone. I instinctively anchored myself to him. There was only the small and consistent rocking sensation of being carried for a few seconds.

"I robbed a girl," He joked which caused a shrill cry on the other end. He had the foresight to hold the phone away as best he could. I protested in a slightly garbled tone. I wanted sleep.

"I'm kidding. I'm helping a friend who got robbed by building a few things." He corrected which earned him a bit of peace. He sighed in obvious relief. A few things? Try my entire apartment. I wanted to tell her, but I'm barely holding on as it is.

"Who? You don't know her. Hello Aki? Aki? " He persisted worriedly. You'd think he'd be used to irrational anger since he knows Jack. He tucked the phone away reluctantly. I recognized the feel of the bike. I noted the colored screen. I'm riding in the front, then. Stirred into semi- alertness, I coached my troubled friend with what I like to call uncensored Carly.

"You helped me out so, I'll return the favor. First off, you do not tell a woman you're interested in that you're with a girl in the middle of the night. Whatever you do, never ever mention we were bed together tonight. No matter how innocent it was." I spewed out, complete with exaggerated hand motions. I think we almost crashed into a fruit stand during my tirade. I should settle down. My hands must have disturbed his line of vision.

"She will stop answering your calls. I'm a very recent friend who fell asleep during my visit, hence the late hour. Understood? " I instructed him, but I think something I said made him flustered. He seems awful red. He slowed down the d-wheeler, but his official reaction to my thoughts on the matter where finally said.

"Okay," He agreed with a stony stare. I must have imagined it. He was stiff, but he had his signature poker face on. With Yusei, this expression was common. I couldn't mull over further consequences of my advice as my eyes couldn't keep open any longer. All I know was that morning, I woke with a shameful sort of realization. I had an alarm, a new bed, and the memory of the other night as a general reason why Yusei might stop coming by. I calmed down, and stretched out in my hovel. I should reconsider watching late night duel coverage. I doubt TV Jack noticed that I didn't watch yesterday.

**I appreciate everyone patiently waiting. I wrote this in bits in pieces while getting distracted by many things. I appreciate all the supportive reviews, especially the detailed ones that I've gotten for this. I, honestly did not know that I was the first to write in this category. I wrote the first chapter on a whim. I liked it so much, that I made a basic outline of what will happen. I will also let you know that It is not my only story that will involve Yusei and Carly as a paring. One crossover, Retracing Memory which made me realize that I had a fancy for this paring and one other story that does not have a title yet are planned for a later time. This also is at its early stages so you have time to enjoy Shutter fancy as well. In other good news, I plan on working on another chapter of this since I skipped Shutter Fancy's turned in favor of my current crossover last time. This chapter starts the inclusion of the Aki phone calls. Woot.**


	4. Skeletons

Skeletons

Each morning for me had doses of chaos, dashes of triumph, and the singular joy of coffee. This morning was nothing like that. I had slept in, falling for the allure of my enclosed shelter. The alarm clock briefly caught my attention, or at least enough to silence it. The hours that followed were bliss. Then, of course, the other night streamed into my consciousness. At the moment, I tried not over think the situation. If he wants to see me, he knows where I live. I think.

Compared to my usual scramble to reach work, the minutes stretched endlessly. My actions were aimless. I had no place to be. My boss had granted generous leeway when he got wind of my budding relationship with Yusei. Well, he saw things that way. He wanted some sort of story out of this. Never mind, he might choose to never see me again. I need coffee, lots and lots of coffee.

Instead of coffee, I found tea. Yusei must have a grudge against coffee then. So, I prepared the stuff, expecting the next few hours to be dull and depressing. I didn't like having too much time to think and the previous night plagued me with several ifs and buts. I could start investigating and see what I turn up, running around town always calmed my nerves. The doorbell rang, and I became aware of every inch of my pajamas. Change, change quickly. I shoved my glasses on and frantically squirmed into my ensemble. The door bell beckoned again, and I stumbled into my living room. The third ring made me think that it probably wasn't Yusei. No way he'd ring that many times. I made it to the door and found Yusei. Okay, so I'm not psychic.

"I sent a letter to Kiryu." He informed me with a slightly irritated expression. That seemed an odd reason to make a house call, unless, he felt uncomfortable after yesterday. His sour mood could be attributed to being unable to patch things up with Aki.

"I got a quick response. He wrote maybe." He explained cooly. That didn't seem helpful. The interview kept getting one delay after another. To make matters worse, I discovered tea was a poor substitute for coffee in the morning. I put the cup down in disappointment. I would have spent more time moping if I hadn't caught Yusei slip and grin.

"Then, he scared the hell out of me and hugged me from behind. " He finished bringing me up to speed before said person popped into view on his left. I stumbled back, but avoided falling on my behind. I think I know who rang the door bell. The grand old embrace from the stranger messed with my heart rate much more than the brief game of peek a boo. Not to be mean, but he had a layer of dust on his clothes which escaped onto my carpet when he lunged. I coughed profusely, catching bits of silvery hair in my mouth. I stood there motionless, inhaling the smell of leather from his jacket. This was the second member of Jack's group to hug me. Add Jack and Crow and I would have hugged the whole set. What makes me so huggable I wonder?

"It's good to see you again Carly," Kiryu greeted warmly. Huh? Think Carly. You don't want another fiasco. Find clues. I looked up at him, and noticed his marker. Did we meet in prison? You've never been to prison Carly, focus. Yusei glanced at the interaction curiously but didn't comment. Drunken night? No, I don't drink either. Clear the air, better to end the awkwardness from the get go like throwing out moldy bread when you first see it.

"I know you?" I questioned hoping that I didn't hurt his feelings or anything. He seemed taken back for a second. His arms unwrapped from my torso. The tension hadn't left though. His hands proceeded to touch my face, stroking my right cheek for an instant before answering.

"No of course not," He replied promptly, reigning in his fingers. I feel like a teenage girl in a horror flick for how I shivered. Yusei stood by the doorway the entire time. If he had questions about the encounter, he was keeping them to himself. Yusei closed the door upon entering. After our minor mishap, Kiryu had the time to examine the apartment and its lack of furnishings.

"No offense, but it looks like you got robbed," Kiryu commented in astonishment. The place was bare and we had nowhere to sit, unless I wished to explain to Kiryu why I have an egg-shaped bed. This turned out to be less of a problem than I thought. Kiryu sat on the floor and Yusei followed his lead.

" I did get robbed," I confessed as I joined them. Kiryu's face darkened as if I'd served him particularly bad coffee. Let it go Carly. No Coffee today.

" Who would do that to you?" Kiryu snapped viciously. Yusei gripped his shoulder, and Kiryu sighed. I panned between the two. Yusei functioned as the voice of reason between them, Mr. Calm and Mr. Rage. Kiryu's reaction to my troubles was strong, stronger than any acquaintance should feel. We've met more than once possibly, but when?

My thoughts turned to my vivid memory of Jack by my bedside, six months before the city's reconstruction. The last thing I remembered when I awoke was our week together. A reporter doesn't like not knowing all the facts, especially about her life. My questions upset Jack immensely. He refused to tell me a thing about the gaps in my memory. If I learned one truth from cartoons, it's that love makes a reporter weak. I am no exception. A red nose and puffy eyes don't look good on Jack. I swear it was like he just attended my funeral. He stuck close by me the first couple of weeks. I'd never had so much of his attention. Whatever happened scared Jack, so much so, that I never asked again.

My justification for this centered on how easily everything fell into place after my return. No one asked me questions. No one stopped me from reporting. No one other than Jack acted any differently. Only, every once in a while, a missing piece of info clogged my brain, interfering with my daily routine. This, however, was the first instance anything out of the ordinary occurred because a few months of my life was missing.

"Kiryu, it's not important," Yusei warned which seemed to ease Kiryu some. Yusei concentrated as if he was about to disarm a bomb. Finally, he found the words he was looking for. His gaze lingered on me.

"I'm helping her rebuild," Yusei reassured him. His words stalled and sputtered funneling a sort of reluctance from Yusei. I saw no reason for him to hesitate. So he's helping me out, why was that hard to say? This news cheered Kiryu by leaps and bounds. He grinned with the prowess of a Cheshire cat. In a celebratory manner, Kiryu grabbed Yusei's shoulder.

"Oh, You are? Have you built her a bike yet?" Kiryu asked slyly. I frowned. What does that have to do with anything? The question seemed to strike a nerve with him. Yusei turned away from him and shoved him childishly.

"No," Yusei responded quickly. Kiryu released him, satisfied by Yusei's one liner. He made himself comfortable, lying down on the carpet. Yusei rolled his eyes.

"You're supposed to answer her questions, not ask me a few," Yusei whined a little. It was odd hearing Yusei act like the younger brother. He never seemed to lose his cool, but Kiryu had the experience to rile him. Kiryu wasn't done putting his two cents in yet either. He stole a glance at Yusei before concluding curtly.

"So, it's still Aki then," Yusei scowled, and I sensed that I technically shouldn't be witnessing this discussion. The concept that he picked up girls by building things for them was preposterous. I'm pressing pause on that line of thought. Stop thinking of Yusei picking up girls and start the interview, Carly.

"Satisfaction Town," I said, guiding the conversation to more fruitful results, and the name redirected Kiryu's attention nicely. He pulled himself forward, put his hand on his chin, and started to talk.

" Ah yes, I love my town, but we should start at the beginning with Yusei's poncho." Kiryu mentioned smartly. Yusei face palmed, but as unprofessional as it was, I urged him to continue.

"What kind of poncho?" I asked. Yusei curled into a little ball and glared at Kiryu defiantly. Kiryu laughed with an oddly unique splendor. I counted my blessings that for now previous introductions were forgotten, and we were talking amiably albeit at Yusei's expense.

" The poncho had a similar pattern to his shirt, but I still think his outfit needed a cowboy hat." Kiryu insisted. Yusei lifted his head up so he could better meet his eyes.

"Kiryu," Yusei said nothing more and nothing less, but it was enough to make Kiryu think twice about continuing. The slight twitch of his brow showed he was aggravated by Kiryu's antics. Damn, I want to see him in a poncho and a hat now. I don't think today would be the best time to bring it up. Maybe I should actually do my job. Yusei was starting to look worse for wear.

"Why did you go to this town?" I started the interview, veering the conversation to why he was asked to come in the first place. Teasing aside, Kiryu sobered and reached back into his troubled past. He wasn't willing to share much of it, but the bottom line made beads of sweat run down my skin.

"I wanted to die." He disclosed in a whisper. I wrote the words down with shaky hands. Talk of death added the taste of sand to my mouth. It was an odd sensation to have when thinking of death, but the turbulence in my head created from the subject was far worse. The best conclusion I could think for my sorrow was I believed fully that he had intended to end his life, and I wanted to know why.

"How did it get to that point?" I inquired, causing an intense reaction from him. Kiryu flinched, and I heard very scrupulous words come from under his breath. Yusei and Kiryu had an unspoken conversation. I could tell from the delicate movement of their hands and the slight shifting of their brows. By the end, I understood nothing of it, but that I was getting zip about the events leading to Kiryu's desperation.

"That is a story for another time," Yusei intercepted, and Kiryu nodded in agreement. Not the worse case scenario, the real story centered when he arrived in town. I couldn't help but want a little context. Eerily, he caught my gaze and read my intention. I received a vague interpretation.

"I did horrible things that deserved retribution Carly. It's not something you can simply forget. The memories drive you mad so much so that I took off." Kiryu explained with a delirious edge. His eyes bore down on me in utmost importance. I felt that the words were for me alone. Yusei's eyes drooped at the remembrance. This was probably not thoroughly discussed between them.

"Everything that made me who I am was shriveled and gone. So, the one important thing you should know Carly was when I stepped into town I'd given up." He concluded as he let go a deep breath. The words dripped on the page with even pen strokes, except for forget. It was blotchy and disfigured like I subconsciously hated the term. I couldn't ponder the odd coincidence long. My personal feelings could wait until I bought a can of coffee and was free to contemplate today's revelations. The interview wouldn't finish itself.

"What did you do when you got there?" I asked. There was unspeakable tension rising between us. He peered at me like I knew full well what he did. My breath hitched. I felt like I was being mistaken for someone else.

" I became an executioner out of pride. You see although my insatiable drive had diminished significantly. I wanted a worthy opponent to finish me. Deep down, I wanted Yusei." He answered, despite whatever nonverbal condescending signals were sent. Yusei nodded in begrudging acceptance of that fact.

" I took a lot of people down in the process, a graveyard full. You see, when people lost in Crashtown, they were taken to the mines. Those people didn't last long." He confided, admitting his crimes as if it was nothing, but that was the surface. His eyes grieved for all those pitiful souls, and those same eyes met Yusei's with a duelist's fire. What I saw summed up his existence in his dark days. It's about time Yusei came rolling into the picture.

"When does Yusei come in?" I demanded. Yusei at that moment was contemplating making his own cup of tea, or I could only presume that as he held mine a loft. He put the cup down, and conducted his tale in the most venomous tone possible.

" I received a letter from Barbara." He announced. I scribbled down the sentiment. In a sort of tribute, I drew a tiny Yusei shaking his fist at the name Barbra. Oh, how I miss my computer, sure I can't doodle on it, but I can type faster than I write, calculating every line on paper wasn't dispelling my longing either.

"She's like a terrible rattle snake, guiding you along with its cacophony. She lured me to town with stories of my friend in terrible danger. Only to make me light the fuse of his destruction." He asserted with lingering distaste. Yusei's testimony painted an unflattering portrait of this woman, one that would only get smeared as he continued. I didn't goad him into answering anything specific. The fact he shared anything at all, instead of letting Kiryu do all the talking, was a miracle in itself.

"I didn't do much to prove her wrong. He witnessed my duel at sundown with some big lug. I was careless and relying on luck to chip away at him which convinced Yusei that she had good intentions." Kiryu admitted with downcast eyes. Yusei's involvement in his tangled web pained him. His quick escape was meant to be a quiet affair. A nameless victim or victor suited Kiryu's spirit at the time, a concerned friend, not so much. Crashtown sounded like the perfect death march to escape the suffocating guilt. Every man knew full well what they were getting into: a no mercy fight to the end.

"When he spotted me, he yelled my name repeatedly like a banshee. As a walking corpse, I tuned him out and rode away. " Kiryu sighed and paused. He took the time to glare at Yusei, even though I received the majority of his angry stares today.

"So naturally, he decided to do something stupid and reckless." He accused him. Yusei shook his head without flinching. How did he not find this man scary when he did that?

"I stand by my decision. You were your gangs favored duelist. If I wanted to face you, I had to join the rival gang." He explained as if that were the simplest course of action. The conversation was a bit lost on me.

"Wait, gangs?" I prompted. They turned to me. Kiryu was about to answer me until Yusei held him back and shook his head. Either they're censoring their story, or he deliberately wanted to explain this part.

" There were two rival gangs belonging to Ramon and Malcolm. He was in Ramon's gang so I infiltrated Malcolm's to make him listen. In a way, its no different from when we were kids, " He mused. I didn't really get it. Like when they were kids? Maybe they were in a gang when they were younger? I did hear that Satellite was split into gang territories for a while. That silly Carly, quit speculating and pay attention.

" We always had differing tastes and opinions. He wore black so I wore red," Yusei shared, slightly exasperated. They definitely have a bit of a push and pull complex happening. Still, no town suddenly decides to invite murders for hire without good reason, and the before mentioned coffins have yet to be brought up in conversation.

"I know why you two were at odds, but what's the story behind the mines?" I questioned bluntly. No finesse but the question served my purpose. Kiryu scoffed like I couldn't read the giant print on a cereal box.

"Why else do people do things? Money: its why people risked their freedom, its why miners were in high demand, and its why the gangs were allowed to tear the town apart. The material, Dyne, excavated from the mines is used to make D-Wheels." Kiryu dictated heatedly. So, this malicious arena was fueled by greed. Kiryu seemed to take the corruption personally. The anger passed quickly, transforming into a more teasing barb directed at Yusei.

" Yusei, on the other hand, wanted to play his big brother at a really bad time. As a zombie, I could only muster mild disapproval at Yusei, the bandit. " He declared, waving his hand when he said Yusei, the bandit.

" I wanted to lose, but, unfortunately, it's in my nature to fight back. He still won the duel like I wanted." He explained. Umm, knowing the results is nice and all, but our readership tends to attract dueling fanatics. Probably, why my few months covering the WRGP went unquestioned.

Kiryu noticed that I wanted more details than that. So he rummaged through his bag, and I was handed stacks of paper.

"All details of each of our duels during this wild ride brought to you by Yusei." Kiryu announced proudly. Then, he rubbed his head, adding a surly comment.

"He kept me up all night," Kiryu complained. The accused shot him a look. His companion lifted his hands up in surrender. Wow, so much effort for me, he makes me wonder what he does for the people he has known for more than a day or two. Yusei shrugged off the credit.

"Quite a lot happened when I visited Crashtown, I figured this would speed up the process." He claimed, a bit thrown by my quiet admiration. Despite minor set backs, I was getting a splendid amount of details. This story definitely would make up for unpaid vacation days. My boss's generosity can be a double-edged sword sometimes that generosity keeps me mostly unfired though.

"Back to our good old-fashioned stand off, he may have won, but unfortunately, Yusei had already been sabotaged by a traitor." Kiryu exclaimed in faux shock. Yusei nodded and elaborated on the matter.

"She was supposed to launch explosives as a distraction while I got him out of there. Instead, we were both chucked inside the coffin and taken to the mines." He contributed to Kiryu's previous revelations. Bingo coffins, I don't think I could take being surrounded by the confining walls of one. The circumstances that occurred after the commotion appeared to be a touchy subject for both of them.

"He didn't want to leave" Yusei added snappishly. Note to self, never ever tell Yusei when one of my investigations involves reckless endangerment.

"I wasn't in my right mind." Kiryu alleged which I considered excusable. Somehow, I couldn't picture this man giving up. He wouldn't even back down from a friendly squabble.

"I disarmed the shock collars they put on us, punched him out, and got us out of there, " Yusei almost bragged. Honestly, it was more of a statement of fact. I wasn't surprised that Yusei escaped with a reluctant passenger. However, I couldn't quite get past a certain detail.

"You get violent?" I cried in mild shock. It's not like it wasn't plausible, but I had seen little evidence to suggest that he shared any of Jack's violent tendencies.

"When I need to," He admitted. A very no nonsense person, you're wanting to toil in the mines forever? Bam, Yusei smacks sense into you.

"Luckily, West and Nico were kind enough to drag Yusei's D-wheeler to our location. Not that the rest of the visit wasn't difficult, he went and faced Lotten while I bonded with my kids using explosives and mine carts" Kiryu continued forward with ease if questionable parenting methods. He caught my mild disapproval and elaborated.

"They weren't my kids at the time exactly. They were Sergio's who we met up with in our attempt to escape. The crazy gun jumped over to a track switch to help us. They kept electrocuting him, but he managed to pull it. He trusted me with them before he kinda fell to his doom." He confessed. Although he tried to keep the conversation light, he faltered at certain parts. The man's death wasn't anything to celebrate, and the morbid chapter of the tale wasn't done either.

"Once we were out of that rotten place, I saw the graveyard of my doing. There was one working duel disk, and I took it to avenge the fallen," he divulged, far away for a moment. He carried on despite the deeply embedded sense of loss that filled him then. He proceeded to end the tale of Barbra that showed that there was no honor among thieves. The two did not bother to hide their pleasure at her fall.

"Thankfully, Barbara found her just reward, and was thwarted by Lotten who we also hate. She had control of the town when she sided with Malcolm and lost it ten seconds later when she betrayed him to join Lotten who wanted the town for himself." Kiryu piped up cheerfully. Yusei let out a brief chuckle before adding to the chatter.

"We faced Lotten under outrageous handicaps too," He disclosed and emphasized the word outrageous. Kiryu agreed heartedly with the statement and bragged on Yusei's behalf.

"Oh please, Yusei will accept any challenge. This boy can fly for heaven sakes." Kiryu exclaimed ceremoniously. Yeah, I remember that. Jack Bear and I cheered our little hearts out. Wait, did they steal Jack bear? No, he was in the closet with my clothes which they graciously didn't bother to take. I vaguely wonder if I should be insulted.

"I became a happy death god when we faced our foe as a tribute to those I killed. I assure you that I was serious about the title at the time." Kiryu commented, and my jaw dropped. I hadn't expected that after so much lament over the death of all those people. It seemed sort of cheesy in an uncomfortable way. Did he really call himself a dead god in front of a bunch of ragged hooligans who likely didn't give a damn?

"Kiryu has a unique way of looking at things." Yusei conceded. I could see the Kiryu isn't really crazy conversation happening a lot. I nodded and gave him the benefit of the doubt. I would need the favor returned if I did happen to pull a ridiculous stunt that I couldn't readily explain.

"The duel wasn't going too badly until Lotten decided to point guns at our heads" The supposed death god barked in clear disappointment. Well, that explains the discontinued notice under the last duel file Yusei gave me, I think I'm going to hear an earful on foul play.

"The duel wasn't quite ever finished if you haven't noticed," Yusei pointed out. Kiryu crossed his arms in sheer annoyance.

"He tried to beat us by force using stun guns," He complained, clearly finding the idea ludicrous. Be lucky it's the only time you've found yourself that close to one. Thugs don't exactly use those things sparingly.

"He said he was a realist," Yusei chipped in. The current king rolled his eyes in clear contempt.

"Jack and Crow came to our rescue," Kiryu called out joyously. I sensed he had a deep attachment to them all. I couldn't help but feel out of the loop. Why hadn't Jack mentioned him?

"It was a reunion in the deepest sense. I was so grateful for everyone's help that I named the town after our old gang,"Kiryu finished, and I jumped when I heard the word gang. Wait, I was right, but Yusei in a gang? For all my high opinions of Yusei, I was hearing countering arguments from Kiryu.

"That's the whole story. Now, as much as I'd like to stick around, I don't like leaving my kids for too long. " Kiryu declared, standing up. Piece of work that he was, he helped with a much needed and appreciated article.

"I understand. Thank you for coming," I thanked him and smiled politely. Yusei also stood, and I expected to find myself alone in the next few minutes. I did have things to type.

"I'll be taking my leave as well. I am bringing a surprise for you tomorrow." Yusei claimed, and considering the empty box I call home, the surprise could be just about anything. Kiryu wasn't missing the opportunity to tease him.

"Is it a bike?" Kiryu guessed from the doorway. Yusei laughed this time and shook his head. He followed Kiryu out making a silent promise to return the next day. His phone rang leading to a surprise oh from him. He stopped by the doorway and answered. I could faintly hear Aki on the other end. She sounded apologetic so assume Yusei's explanation worked wonders. I would have cast aside anything I found out with my snooping ways if I hadn't heard the following.

"I didn't realize you meant, Carly." Aki mentioned in a sort of you should have said so earlier way. My brain froze in a type of train grinding to a halt fashion. Right, she's met me for more than five seconds. I don't know why keeping the pretense that we hadn't met previously meant so much to me. I knew that I didn't want him to find out because Aki blabbed it over the phone.

"Have you met her before?" Yusei questioned reasonably. The dreaded words were inevitable, and I found myself hoping that Kiryu would interrupt with some silly comment. Much to my chagrin, Kiryu appeared to be long gone. Calm down, Carly. The worse that will happen is that he'll look at you strangely for not mentioning you knew Jack and the others before. Nothing will change.

"You've helped her on an article before. I see. She's quite good at getting interviews out of people,"Yusei expressed tonelessly. The conversation seemed to skip the particular direction I expected. The results were worse. My past experiences with his group must look suspicious. I hoped Aki would salvage my good name, but he seemed to realize he was still in my apartment. He stepped out and closed the door silently. I sighed, and went to outline my article with a heavy heart. How is it he manages to keep me from what I really want to know?

**Again, Thank you for the supportive reviews and your patience. As promised, here is the interview chapter. I enjoyed writing Kiryu, but I'm not used to it. Surprisingly, he had quite an effect on Yusei when I wrote them together. He talks more. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm happy with the end result. Hope you enjoy this chapter, until next time.**


	5. Worth

Worth

Throughout my long journey to become a reporter, I've had people call me weird, pesky, a rat, and countless other names. Never did I think that a person's silence would hurt more. It was already nearing lunch time, and Yusei failed to show with my surprise. Considering yesterdays revelation, maybe he was mailing it to Aki instead.

I don't need a surprise anyway, or company. I need to go out into the streets and find another scoop. I sent my report to my boss already. Maybe, I can opt out of my vacation days and get back to work. I certainly wasn't going to ask Yusei any more favors. If my boss couldn't benefit from my time off, he likely wouldn't object to my return.

I was about hit the button that would guarantee that I could work until I was nearly comatose again. When an incoming call interrupted me, my boss was calling me. Shoot, that only happened when I did something wrong. I braced myself for a lashing as well as an order to run around town like a headless chicken in search of my next story.

"Carly great job!" He congratulated me in his usual shouting way. Eh, I'm not fired. That never happens.

"Look, I'll pay for however many vacation days you want if you don't accept another job." He pleaded, but I was lost. I hadn't been looking for another job. Why was my loyalty in question? Because Carly, you can make the most trusting person ever think you're a manipulative snake. Right, might as well reassure my boss. I wasn't going anywhere.

"Why would I be accepting another job?" I asked out of habit. It's not every day your boss offers you more money to keep you on.

"The two articles you wrote are hits. Everyone's talking about it, even on TV," He added with a bit of dumb founded shock. I was surprised myself, but I remember how fast he ran away from the paparazzi. I may well be the only one who did get an interview with him although it was a co-interview on a very specific time frame of his life which no one knew about. Of course people are in a frenzy. They're starved for any intimate knowledge of the current duel king.

"You managed to get interviews out of two of the most prominent and secretive duelists out there. You're telling me no one has called, " He exclaimed, fishing for any inclinations that I might be holding secret interviews with another newspaper. Not the person, I wanted to call no, not even a job offer as an ego boost. Oh well, he kept mentioning two articles, but the last one I wrote was on . . . Ah yes, Sherry Le Blanc, I hadn't given it much thought, but there wasn't a lot out there on her. I still found it strange that she talked to me like a dear old school mate.

I'm attracting people like flies lately. Might as well turn on the TV and get my mind off of it, wait, that was not there before. How did he get into my apartment? Carly, you gave him a spare key so you could avoid the issue that caused you to get robbed in the first place. The way the TV arrived did not speak well for my current relationship with Yusei. He clearly did not want to see me right now. I heard a distinct drone in my right ear. Oops, tuned out my boss. As much as I would like to consider hypothetical job offers, there was none.

"No, no job offers. Gotta go." I confessed and hung up quickly. Only to have it ring seconds later, who would have thought hanging up on the boss would have consequences. Except it was a number, I didn't recognize. I answered, wondering if my boss had not exaggerated my in demand status.

"Hello, is this Carly Nasaiga?" A polite questioning voice called out. It was deep like you would picture a kidnapper's voice to sound like, not the type of thing that was best to think about when answering a stranger's phone call. He probably didn't know where I lived, what could it hurt.

"Yes, that's me. Little Carly, I mean big Carly. I have pepper spray. Never mind, I don't, but I know a place where I could borrow pepper spray." I ranted uncontrollably. Fortune Fairies curse me. I may have blown a potential job offer out of paranoia.

"Oh good, this is Demak, the editor and chief. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." He explained, completely ignoring my indiscretion. He kinda of sounded like he wanted to laugh. Demak, hmm, reminded me of a monkey for some reason.

"No, not at all, why did you call?" I prompted innocently. You know why he called, Carly.

"I'm familiar with your previous work, and I'd like to offer you a job. You'll still have to attend an interview tomorrow, but it's more of a formality than anything." Demak offered casually. It sounded too good to be true. It can't be that hard to pry an interview out of Yusei can it? Carly, spicy noodles twice, and he still doesn't trust you.

Ah, I need to see him again. It's eating at me. I've never upset anyone before. I didn't even know I was capable of it. My eyes trailed to the closet where an odd treasure was kept. I could've sworn I heard the word liar come from there. Get it together, Carly. Besides, I need to know more about what I'm getting into.

"What is the job exactly?" I inquired suspiciously. Demak's laughter rumbled through the phone causing it to vibrate.

"You never were one to take things at face value, except Jack." Demak accused teasingly. What the hell? Someone else that knows me, but I don't know them. Am I on some website or something?

"Excuse me?" I reprimanded. At least Kiryu hadn't questioned my love life. He had questioned Yusei's instead.

"Pardon. I did not realize the lizard told the truth. Forget my rudeness, you'd be a reporter here who gets much more money, perks and say in what she writes. Assuming I did not just creep you out with my inherent knowledge of your background." He replied reasonably. His friendly attitude had diminished somewhat into a reserved mask. Why couldn't I remember a cowboy or an editor in chief? Both seemed like people who would be hard for me to forget. I wasn't going to pass on a possible job offer based on an ever escaping mystery. It's not like he's evil anyway.

"Tell me the address. I'll check it out tomorrow. The job sounds nice." I admitted, and I heard a sigh of relief escape him.

"Good, see you tomorrow, bird," He said goodbye oddly. I hung up, and fixated on what he called me. Bird? What a strange nickname, I wonder who lizard was for that matter. My line of thought did not tarry on the strange phone call because the news had come on with my arch nemesis Angela. I glared at her momentarily until both Jack and Sherry were plastered on the screen. Both were on the European circuit, and it looked as if both were partnered in a tag tournament. That explains Sherry's befriending attitude, maybe I had come up. I just wasn't sure exactly what I was referred to in that possible scenario. I tried not to read too much into it. Jack partnered with lots of people in the past, and Sherry wasn't the only person to take a shine to me without proper explanation.

I, suddenly, wasn't so bent on watching TV. I turned it off. Mechanically, I went out the door. I should see Yusei. Thank him for the TV and all the joy it's brought me. The ride over there was agonizing. I kept seeing blondes everywhere. I tried not to let it get to me despite my insecurities. I need to rationalize the situation. They're together for one tournament only, and the last time you saw Jack he left you behind. I couldn't deny it. There wasn't a definite, but I'll come back for you later. I just assumed he would.

I need to talk to him somehow, when I'm not so dejected. I noticed that the door to Yusei's place of work was locked. No one would get in or out today, or he could mean to keep me out specifically. There was an intercom. I could reason with him, and explain his team was a damn top contender who attracted readers. No, that reasoning makes me sound like a heartless reporter. I dated Jack, and therefore had easy access to Aki and the twins. Jack, right, bring that complication into this mess, and add that I had the twins helped too that'll get you in his good graces. Breakdown the problem one step at a time, I have to get into the building first. I pressed the button on the intercom. I was immediately patched through to him thankfully.

"Carly, predict your own fortune today. Depending on your draw, I might let you in," He ordered in a barely contained rage. But, but, it was a very simple article where Aki said nothing but beautiful biased things about you. Why are you angry at me? If my cards don't fail me, I may get an answer. I shuffled nervously taking longer than needed. I, then, closed my eyes and picked up the single most important card I ever drew.

"Ahh! I drew Fortune Fairy Chee. Your fortune the day you draw this card is super pinch," I announced in disappointment. He likely wasn't going to talk to me today. If he made this a daily requirement, it may be a while before I have the chance to explain myself. I tend to have terrible luck when I need it most.

"You do realize you could have lied right?" Yusei berated irritably. From his tone, his temper had lost some of his steam. I contemplated his complaint. He was right of course, but that didn't seem fair. What would the point of fortune telling be if you received do overs every time you didn't get exactly what you wanted?

"Why would I?" I asked in confusion. I wouldn't prove I was trustworthy that way. He did not answer for a long time. I almost thought he purposely left me to forever stare at the intercom. Finally, a guard signaled for me to come to the door.

"I'm waiting for Yusei to talk," I mentioned awkwardly. I myself didn't want to leave him hanging. Then, I saw Yusei's distinct hairdo come into view. Please tell me he didn't hear that.

"I'm over here," He stated forming a nearly invisible smile. I went in without further insistence. My cheeks were a little heated from standing in front of the intercom like an idiot when he was within walking distance the entire time.

"What was the point of all that?" I mumbled to myself. Yusei overheard me easily.

"A test of character, you passed." Yusei responded simply. It seemed a much less potent a test than setting my tongue on fire repeatedly. I must be softening him up.

"Why are you here?" Yusei muttered, holding up a blue print. I felt a little out of place with all the people in lab coats and that . . . spinning guy. I wasn't in his good graces at the moment, and I had a pathetic excuse.

"Thanks for the TV. It was a wonderful surprise," I told him anyway. It may have me questioning my entire existence, but it's the thought that counts. He rolled up the blue print quickly, and turned to me.

"I didn't get you a TV." He said in what I imagined was both alarm and a tiny bit of jealousy. I must be getting cocky now that I might get a fancy new job. I should be freaking out that someone without a key got in again instead of being presumptuous. Yusei considered the predicament before reaching an embarrassing conclusion.

"Kiryu," He muttered making my ears burn from the revelation. That guy never did things by the book, did he? I bet he has never heard of getting a girl flowers. A hint of annoyance showed before he explained on Kiryu's behalf.

"Kiryu said he wanted to top my surprise, and I did misplace my keys yesterday. I hope his overzealous methods didn't scare you," He consoled me, a little bothered by his brother's breaking and entering. I shook my head. I did get a free TV out of the brotherly rivalry. Most people only got splitting headaches from such things.

"Here, I figured you needed this." He asserted, handing over a wrapped package. It didn't weigh much, and its thin rectangular shape narrowed down what it could be considerably. Inside I found a thin light weight purple lab top and charger. Wow, I couldn't take my eyes of it except my instincts took over. Without thinking, I gave him a peck on the cheek and hugged him.

"Thank you," I exclaimed gratefully. He returned the hug slowly. Yusei, then, guided me into the elevator. I wondered why we were migrating all of a sudden so I took a look around and realized what I just did to him. Altogether, his coworkers had seen what must have looked an awful lot like a guy giving a gift to his girlfriend.

"Umm, I'm sorry," I apologized as we made our way up to his floor. He wasn't looking directly at me, and his skin displayed a darker tint than usual.

"Don't worry about it. We do need to talk though." He decided, memorizing the wallpaper opposite of me. Great, I'm going to get a lecture on personal space. The walk to his office was made up of a constricting awkwardness. Every few seconds I would accidentally brush against his hand causing him to jump slightly. I settled for holding the computer with both hands. He opened the door and let me walk in first. He staggered into his chair and relaxed in his familiar sanctuary.

"I heard about you from Aki. I didn't hear what I expected. You tried to get a hold of Jack because your boss wanted an article featuring Team 5ds,a team that had yet to lose. You couldn't, and it was Aki who offered to help you." He relayed, staring out his window as a means of diminishing the tension. I was glad that Aki's account had cleared me of my hypothetical crimes, but he had sounded so angry earlier.

"It didn't really prove to me that you were a good person. You make yourself very likable Carly. In fact, I found that you sweet talk duelists very easily," He accused demonstrating this morning's paper as proof. The actual photo beside the article showed Sherry and I hugging while making peace signs. I couldn't help but frown at the picture. Dammit Jack, why do you always run off without me? I had a valid explanation for the flippant comradery.

"She approached me like we were great friends, but I've never met her before," I explained earnestly. What can I say? Fate was using this week to make up for my year as a metaphorical hermit. I was meeting all sorts of new people, and forgotten old friends apparently.

"Why does everyone love you?" Yusei snapped although he instantly bit his tongue. He was about to detract the statement, but I sang like a canary.

" Oh, so Aki told you about Jack," I blurted and shut my eyes tightly. I opened one, and saw a shocked and speechless Yusei in front of me. No Carly. You told him about Jack.


	6. Revelations

Revelations

Please no. I did not just reveal the one thing that could sabotage everything. Hope wasn't lost. He had not responded to my comment yet. He was simply staring at me unbelievingly. Come on, be a chatterbox. Pretend you said nothing out of the ordinary. I glanced at his eyes analyzing me like a stone cold microscope. No, we were definitely having this conversation.

" Yusei, I … I'm your friend, " I appealed to him hopefully. What I said didn't register. He turned his chair away from me.

"You and Jack?' He murmured as if trying to see everything in that puzzle and failing. I, on the other hand, was trying to decipher his face. How was he taking the news? Upset? Stuck on baffled? I couldn't tell. I kinda of hated myself right now. Right when he was upset over one blond I was with, we jumped into discussing another. He kept finding reasons not to trust me. To be fair, this secret was kind of a biggie.

"Yeah, we were together a while ago, before he left, " I downplayed it. Meanwhile, my mind was screaming. You still have Jack bear. Your nighttime dreams heavily star Jack, and if he called you and asked you to come to Italy, you would. You can't look Yusei in the eye and tell him your past your love. Jack, the name slipped out, did it change anything? Will Yusei choose not to smile at me anymore? He nodded passively at my reply. Although the tension seemed to leave his shoulders when it was implied that for now Jack and I were apart, he probably thinks that he did wrong by spending time with me. He's relieved that I won't cause a rift between them. I must be far from Jack's mind. His best friend doesn't see why we would be together in the first place. In fact, his best friend didn't know who I was. I obviously wasn't meant to be permanent.

"So Aki helped you because, " He stopped suddenly. He wheeled his chair around when he realized what my relationship with Jack meant. It meant he had been scolding me for no real reason. Accepting help from acquaintances I met through Jack was completely valid. I wasn't fraternizing with every notable duelist on earth. If I was, I'd shoot for some infamous names like the first duel king who supposedly housed the nameless pharaoh, Manjoume Thunder which people claimed shot real thunder, heck even the mysterious red blur seen all over that was reported to unleash solid duel monsters. Yusei resembled the grim reaper temporarily until he finally reached a sense of peace and relented. He smiled apologetically.

" I'm sorry that I've been on your case. I had no idea … " He trailed off in embarrassment. His eyes transformed into damn saucers and his mind wandered away from our conversation. I squeezed my hands together in agitation. I have to cheer him up. Let him know that the last few days weren't meaningless.

"You're more important to me right now," I blurted out. I coughed profusely in a slight panic afterward. Idiot. I feel like player. That was not something I could take back. He had looked so sad before. I couldn't help myself. Now, his mouth was agape while beads of sweat fell from his forehead in the perfectly air conditioned room. His hands scrambled for something to do. He found a piece of paper where he drew multiple circles distractedly with his pen. I hope that wasn't an important report. He repeated the same pattern for some time. Finally, he faced me which made his face heat a little.

"Oh, are you hungry? " He offered randomly. My stomach grumbled at the reminder. I could use some food. Wait the girls, I'm supposed to meet them now. The timing was great. The king was flustered with my cheesy sympathetic words. I'd never seen him this nervous. Then again, I had never seen him with Aki either. I shouldn't read much into his reaction. It would be the same if someone else had said it and stronger if Aki did. A few words could sway him into hating or caring about you immensely. Fortunately, I had officially landed into the latter category.

"I'm going to meet my friends at the café, " I excused myself, glad to escape after my bold declaration. I'm unsure that I meant it. Sure, I was questioning my current situation with Jack, but I shouldn't latch onto the nearest warm body either.

"Great, I haven't met them. I'll join you." Yusei decided before I could even counter. But I wanted to get away from you for a while to sort myself out, and they were all close to Jack in one form or another once. Wouldn't that make him uncomfortable?

"Are you sure?" I prompted, giving him a weren't you angry at me five minutes ago look. With a smirk, he took my hand. The interaction of our clasped hands gave me the sensation that I was caught in a net. The gesture gave the illusion of freedom so long as I kept fluttering forward while pulling me wherever it wished. As I was being dragged away, I observed his coworkers fly past my line of vision. Their presence caused me to think of another strategy.

"Shouldn't you be working?" I accused him lightly. The suggestion slowed him down a little. He turned to me and laughed.

"Yes, I've saved the city repeatedly, and look after its primary energy source. I'm very much in danger of losing my job if I duck out early once in a while." He mused. When he put it that way, it wasn't my most brilliant argument.

The trip down to the café was fairly painless. Traveling out of the building much to my concern felt routine. Four days, and I'm used to this sort of thing. I'm getting used to being with him. The quiet elevator ride, the safety lecture although he only emphasized key points this time, and even the shameful pleasures of the bike ride. I can't. I can't be so fickle.

We arrived and parked right in front of our regular table. Yes, the bike was inches from their faces. Mikage and Stephanie held their cups aloft frozen by the sheer grandeur and oddness of the spectacle. Same old, same old Carly had arrived with the current duel king. I think that I won show and tell today.

"Hi guys, you know Yusei," I broke the ice. Mikage recovered first. She did actually know Yusei on a semi personal level. She shook his hand. Turning to me, she had the sort of grin that girls get when they want the other to spill. I scratched my head and shrugged. Wrong door, yeah, that's a start. Stephanie I noticed half-expected Jack to be behind Yusei. Why else would this ever happen?

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fudo," Stephanie greeted formally. She had taken an educated guess and decided that perhaps I was doing a follow up interview. So behaving would be best, that and she was nervous as hell. Without a crush to subdue it, she tended to get nervous around famous people. It's how she missed out on Yugi's autograph every year.

He frowned when she called him Mr. Fudo . Hey at least, I know what to call him during arguments now. He corrected her immediately. He was out to impress, however, so he did so with a smile.

"Call me Yusei. I'm Carly's friend. We met a few days ago," He explained and decided to extend a hand as he had for Mikage. Stephanie placed both her hands on his one and shook vigorously. He was a bit surprised by the exchange, but she was already zipping into the café for our usual drinks. She thoughtfully peeked her head out the door and asked him what he wanted.

"Is there anything you'd like in particular? I always order because I get a discount for old times sake," She said cheerfully. Yusei processed the request and answered.

"A cup like Jack used to get, I'd like to know what the fuss is about," He ordered. Stephanie giggled and complied. Meanwhile, we all sat down. Both of them were staring at me. Somehow, I know that I'm doing most of the talking today.

"So Carly, explain." Mikage demanded patting Yusei's back for emphasis. Yusei knew what happened of course, but it looked like he was curious about my take on it. I squirmed in my chair. Wait a minute. I'm a reporter. I can redirect the attention to her.

"How are things with that cop?" I questioned feebly. Mikage smiled elegantly like a princess at his mention. If things were getting serious, I wished I'd paid more attention to what his name was.

" Ushio and I are fine. We can talk about it next time. You, on the other hand, have some explaining to do." She directed dismissively. Why must I have the most exciting story today? It didn't help that Yusei was so smug about it.

"I'm not the only one that was involved you know," I alleged, cuing Yusei to talk in my stead. He shook his head since he mainly wanted to observe me in my natural habitat today.

"Go ahead," Yusei consented as Stephanie returned with our assortment of drinks. She handed each one off individually, giving a wink to Yusei when she gave him his. He whispered a thanks followed by her quick, don't mention it. Instantly, her waitress instincts shut off reverting her to casual customer status. The expert coffee maker inhaled the scent of her coffee appreciatively and sat next to Mikage. Story time.

"I hadn't left for work yet, and he came to my door by mistake. I got robbed which lead to the interview with him and here we are. Now, who wants to pitch in for cheese cake," I surmised in one breath. The two girls pouted. Then, Mikage registered the word rob in the less than satisfying tale.

"Wait, you got robbed and you didn't call your police friend?" She accused. She was partially worried and fighting the urge to hit me for my lack of common sense. She wouldn't in front of Yusei. He wasn't in the trio yet. I could see him worming his way in though.

"I was going to tell you eventually. Besides, Yusei offered to help rebuild since I was robbed the day we met. On the bright side, I have cooler stuff now," I bragged, showing off my new purple computer. He brightened at the round about complement. The retired coffee girl poked and prodded the machine. Yusei casually explained some of the basic features since she was curious. Wow, I did not think to ask him about what it did, some other time when Mikage wasn't shooting daggers at me for being prone to misfortune. Mikage whistled in appreciation, but I could tell that she wasn't done.

"How did they even get in? I had you buy reinforced locks." Mikage pressed suspiciously. She continued to glare until I cracked. What's the use in lying? She interrogated perps for a living.

"We'll, you know how I mentioned that we met by mistake? I had to go to work. He had gone to get some things to fix my broken tv so I left the door unlocked. Don't hurt me." I begged

She was making the utmost effort not to. Then again, she was trying not to laugh either.

" Oh Carly, you're lucky the stranger you met was nice. Always lock the door, and have me do background checks on anyone you meet." She instructed playfully. I did have a suspicious job offer to look into and then, there's Kiryu. I don't even know how appropriate that would be to say in front of Yusei.

"Actually, if you could, can you get me a background check on Demak? Umm, I actually didn't get a last name, but he offered me a job," I told her. She marveled at the new piece of information. Yes, this week will be known as the week of Carly. The days were luck both good and bad come at me in high doses.

"Of course, but you couldn't find anything?" She wondered skeptically. I was infamous for scrounging up as much info as possible.

"I know, usually, I can find all sorts of things on people. I know a little, but part of what I dug up intrigued me. He disappeared off the face of the earth for six months only to return right before reconstruction of the city started. I'm hoping with your clearance that you'll find out more. " I explained. Mikage nodded. It was the least she could do. She might carry some underlying desire to help me since the thieves who took my things were likely long gone. All the while, Yusei stiffened at the name.

"If it is who I think it is, I'd be careful. He's been through some trials. I don't know him very well, but that man can be dangerous." Yusei interjected. Mikage's eyes widened as she connected which particular individual came to mind. Once again, I was out of the loop. Stephanie similarly knew nothing of what was going on either, but she was busy playing with my new lab top. She better not spill coffee on this one.

"I guess I'll find out tomorrow at twelve. Mikage send anything you get a hold of before then, " I announced. She nodded hesitantly. She didn't like me going, but I promised. That and the last, stranger I met gave me a TV, the one before that a lap top among a growing number of things, and, this one was offering me a job. How bad could he be really? Yusei didn't see it that way. As far as he was concerned, I was ignoring all the warning signs.

"I'm coming with you tomorrow," He stated firmly. Demak did say the interview was more of a formality than anything. Having Yusei tag along wouldn't hurt my chances, and it would keep the girls from worrying.

"Okay, " I decided. Everyone except me let out a collective sigh of relief. Well, you'd think I was in the hospital every other week the way they were reacting.

"Oh, come on. I don't get into that much trouble," I defended myself haughtily. Big mistake.

" I found you under your yellow cab,"Mikage mentioned teasingly. Oh, that week was a bit fuzzy, but that part always stood out. I'm grateful that she didn't mention I was among the reporters chasing after Yusei that week. Considering I barely remember anything after that. I likely had a concussion for a while.

"Because you were chasing Yusei," Stephanie added, returning the computer. Why Stephanie? Why? Is it because I said this coffee doesn't taste that much better than my store-bought brand? You know I was lying to you.

"Please tell me I wasn't nearby when that happened. How is it that I never noticed you before now?" He reflected remorsefully. No, you don't need more reasons to pity me, but he was nearby I think. I'm not sure. I know I had a scoop which I lost, and was likely irrelevant now. Pesky memory loss.

"Sort of. My assignment was to get an interview with you at the time. The parts of the day I remember are getting some sort of scoop and being crushed under my yellow cab. I suffer from memory loss so I'm not sure." I admitted. His curiosity of my present amnesia took some of the guilt from his face but some guilt lingered. I took it upon myself to strip him from blame.

"Don't worry about it. I'm accident prone. It would have happened with or without you." I reassured him. My comment only made his preoccupation with what happened worse. Stephanie used her much practiced coffee girl wisdom.

"Forget the past. If her body doesn't remember the aches, you shouldn't dwell on it. Anyway, you know you want to name your top bad luck Carly moment. Mine involves spilling coffee on her computer right after she actually finished the article on your team," She chattered amiably. I could tell he needed to know. He had been dwelling on it for at least half a day since Aki revealed our past association.

"Did you even print that article?" He asked skeptically. I found that there was a small but steadily increasing undertone of pity. You know the kind you would have if you saw a baby duck drowning in a pond. May he never know how much worse I've been through. I winced as it clicked that mentioning that particular detail would have saved me so much trouble. No use in reflecting on it now.

"Eh, sadly, I was with the portion of the team that had school. I didn't want to rewrite it from memory either. That wouldn't be accurate. Team unicorn caught me balling outside the stadium and bailed me out. Wrote an article on them instead." I revealed succinctly. Such nice guys, shame they were targeted before the finals. He smiled at their mention. Their teams must have constructed quite a rapport with each other. Yusei ended up being a victim of the girls expectant gazes. He glanced at me for some way out. Chatting wasn't Yusei's specialty. Sorry, Yusei. You shouldn't sit at the table if you aren't prepared to gossip. Finally, he opted to join in if only to end the silence.

"You were robbed the first day I met you."He confessed reluctantly. Never mind that it had come up in conversation before. They giggled anyway. That was it. He was an official part of the group.

The rest of the meeting wasn't all that interesting. I elaborated on how we met. Mikage usually urged me along with specific questions, particularly when the noodle bit slipped out. It was the sort of quirky happen stance that they liked hearing from me. When I finished, Stephanie's only comment on the whole ordeal was that despite having such a poker face Yusei got angry at me a lot. I seem to inspire that quality in men. Yusei failed to comment, a pattern that continued for the rest of our chit chat. As the dominant story teller today, time slipped away like a broken hour glass. The sun left the sky out of boredom. Stephanie yawned, tired from the ride here. Soon, various reasons sprang up for calling it a day. Mikage had an early shift and Stephanie needed to drive back.

"Goodbye guys, same time next week?" I asked. They nodded, and true to my word, I did try hugging them. Stephanie immediately reciprocated the interaction. Mikage didn't reject it, but took a while to wrap her arms around me. Yusei snuck in from behind. I let out a tiny eep because of that, but the group hug was nice. You'd think we hadn't seen each other in years or something. Eventually, the embrace ended.

The entire day had gone better than expected. So over all, I squeezed behind Yusei with a content mind. The ride passed with little interruption. He did ask if I'd like to pick a station on the radio. I named one, and he obliged. Comfortable, I leaned into him more than I should have. He didn't notice. We were in cramped quarters after all. After reconstructing the city three times, most sections of the city weren't that distinctive. I only knew we reached my neighborhood when I saw a stray shopping cart in an alley way.

He accompanied me upstairs to my apartment. I had difficulties finding my keys. I fiddled with grabbing the correct one. It slipped from my grip only to be caught by Yusei. I reclaimed them and opened the door. We stood next to each for a while unsure of what to do next. I considered inviting him in. It wasn't all that late, eight technically. Much as had occurred previously, his phone rang. He answered it immediately.

"Hello Aki, how was your day?" He began obviously starting a routine conversation. She always called later in the day. The minute she did, a wall erected between us. He hung on her every word. I still stood outside my door awkardly. I could tell by the warm talkative banter that he wouldn't be such good company if I did invite him in. The barrier was shut down temporarily as he caught himself ignoring me.

"Excuse me Aki, I need to say goodbye to a friend," He excused himself. Of course, the decision was made for me.

"Goodbye Carly, I'll see you tomorrow. Don't get run over while I'm gone" He said in a half-joking sort of way. I put up a brave smile even as I began to feel awful. She was so far away, and he didn't pretend she didn't exist. As he walked away, no amount of good cheer had previously could keep me from feeling so alone.

**I'm thankful for the interest this has generated. I appreciate any comments I get as it helps me see what I pulled off well. I debated how much of the girls's meeting to put in. Hopefully, this chapter was enjoyable.**


	7. Transition

Transition

Have you ever tasted something sweet only to experience the bitter aftertaste? I've fallen victim. As unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable as my days have been with Yusei, Jack seemed to always pop into my head in some form. Lately, these interruptions weren't pleasant memories or fantastical day dreams, but ugly realizations about Jack. This has nothing to do with their apparent dual natures at all. It's not like I have loved vanilla ice cream all my life and suddenly, I crave chocolate mint. This snag in my carefully constructed web of delusions stems completely from my ill-fated discovery of Yusei and Aki.

They were oceans apart as Jack and I were, yet I'm sure that I was witnessing what should have been happening if I meant anything to Jack at all. She had his number and called every day. I was still working up the nerve to ask Yusei for Jack's. We needed to talk badly, but considering how explosive Yusei had turned at the mere inclination that I might be taking advantage of him, I'm finding it hard to confront him now that I do need his help. They knew everything going on in each others life. My nightly viewing of Jack's duels had long ago been disrupted. Even worse, the one available venue for how he faired personally was gossip magazines. I strongly distrust gossip magazines in principle, but it was turning awfully tempting with pictures of Jack and Sherry all over them. Most important of all, he thought about her constantly. This wasn't just the assumption of a reporter laying awake in the middle of the night because she had witnessed what a real relationship looked like mere hours ago. The flood gates were open, and I was starting to piece things together.

If I hadn't been preoccupied by the lashing Yusei gave me in his office, I would have had time to contemplate the rose on his desk or how the picture of his teammates always seems to be angled so Aki faced his person. When we went to his home, a pile of letters bearing a distinct feminine touch was on his work bench. Then, he had the unfortunate tendency to drop everything the moment she called, to the point he forgot who all was around him. The king definitely loved this girl. And as the hours passed, I was beginning to see that maybe Jack did not love me.

So, naturally, when I heard metallic clangs and rumblings coming from the living room, I wasn't in the mood to deal with the matter rationally. If the robbers had come for another go, the results would be much different, sleep deprived me would see to that. I skulked into the living room, and sure enough, someone was snooping around. I hid behind the arm chair, daring to get within inches of the crook. I lurched forward landing on the thief who let out an oomph. I glared at the would be intruder who wasn't what I was prepared to deal with at all.

"Yusei, why are you here?" I shrieked and scrambled off of him. My heart pounded from the stress of it all. I didn't understand what was going on. He'd never come this early or late. I was slightly disoriented on what time it actually was. Perhaps more time had slipped than I thought? He used the couch to propel himself up. He didn't look as if he understood why I was freaking out beyond all reason either. Uncharged, my brain took a while to assemble the pieces. My clues were Yusei, late or early hour, and new furniture. Three yawns later, it clicked. He must have wanted to surprise me, and I yelled and attacked him.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled and rubbed my eyes. I must look like a little kid who stayed up way past her bed time. Since being ambushed, Yusei had stayed remarkably quiet and unsure of how to proceed. The tension broke after he heard my apology which elicited a chuckle from him.

"I'm the one who technically broke in, not you, "He mused and pulled me off the floor. In my current state, I didn't mind the floor that much. If you were already on the floor, you didn't have to worry about losing your balance.

"But I gave you a key so I shouldn't be angry you used it," I protested since I would have enjoyed the surprise in the morning had I not accidentally caught him red handed.

"I obviously did not think through my plan. I was counting on you being a heavy sleeper, but you haven't slept at all have you? Is everything all right?" He realized and asked worriedly. Oops, somehow, I'm always the one being asked all the questions. I longed for the protection of my thick rims. My eyes were completely exposed and vulnerable. I could barely keep my mouth from flapping. How can I keep my eyes from giving me away further? He was the last person who needed to hear my deep-seated issues with Jack.

"No, I haven't been feeling well," I half lied and took the easy way out. I embraced him so my eyes were comfortably looking at the opposite wall instead of him. No eye contact meant no instant give away of my feelings. He tensed from the abruptness of the gesture, but returned the hug. There was an odd hitch to the plan. His hand crept up and began stroking my hair in a soothing manner. Do friends stroke each others hair? I thought drowsily and contemplated mimicking the action to test the idea which was disrupted when he ushered me back to my room.

"Go back to bed. I'll make you some hot cocoa," He ordered as I slipped into my cocoon shaped bed. Hot cocoa sounded nice, but there was a possibility he would run out and buy me medicine that I didn't need.

"I'm not sick," I exclaimed from under the covers. He patted my back reassuringly before stepping into the kitchen.

"Of course not," He stated calmly. Was I sick? His tone made me think I might be. Or maybe, I didn't run well on zero sleep. What time was it? It still looked dark. I should take what little sleep I could get or I would be in no shape to face Demak tomorrow. Then, Yusei came in with the hot cocoa. Distracted, I stood up and took the cup from him. With both my hands out of the way, he checked my temperature.

"Not sick, but something must be troubling you if you're up," He persisted and waited. I groaned which caused him to double check his previous assessment. Sadly, I needed to pin this on someone, and I already knew he didn't trust Demak.

"I feel a little uneasy about the interview tomorrow." I made up instantly. Bad Carly, no you don't. The lie struck a cord with Yusei. His eyes narrowed and he wrapped his hand around mine securely.

"Cancel on him, you don't have to go if you don't want to." He suggested persuasively. At least, I understood that I was under no obligation to step into the haunted woods so to speak, or perhaps, I wasn't being swayed by his silver tongue but suffering from an inability to process a counter argument at the moment. I did want to go, and given enough time to strategize, I could get Yusei on board as well, despite my construed anxieties. Still, did I really want to deceive him after I spent so long earning his trust? No, I should confess before it becomes blatantly obvious that I'm lying. I wouldn't be too specific about what was bothering me, but hopefully, its admittance would be enough to make him forgive my previous lie.

"Actually, Yusei, I'm not concerned about the interview. I lied because I didn't want to tell you what I was going through. My feelings for someone might be changing, and its confusing me. I've been agonizing over it all night, " I confessed which caused a strange reaction from him. He released his grip on my hand and stood. He wouldn't look at me. My stomach churned as if a thousand hexes had been cast on it. I didn't want him to leave acting like that, no matter how many precious minutes of sleep were lost in the process.

" I panicked. I'm sorry I lied. Are you mad?" I told him childishly. My jumbled words appeared to work.

"I'm not mad." He admitted as he sat back down and took a deep breath. Then, there was the inevitable eye contact. The interaction made me want to pull the covers over my eyes from the scrutiny. The good news for me was his face confirmed what he said. He didn't look mad at all if anything he looked apprehensive.

There was a change as if he'd fallen under some kind of trance. I vaguely recalled Misty telling me that my eyes could capture an angel's heart and pull him to the devil. I, honestly, can't picture the context of that talk. He leaned closer, and I fought the urge to pull away. We were a breath apart. I wondered if I had fallen asleep. Every movement was flowing into that imagined bliss. Except, divine intervention interfered. The phone escaped from his pocket, falling with a thud. At the sound, he jerked away as if he'd been stung. In a daze, he retrieved the cell phone after several tries. Finally, his face seemed to settle on his preferred calm mask.

"Get some shut eye. All the furniture is here. I'll finish arranging it tomorrow. You don't have to worry about bumping into it. Rounded edges," He rambled on, putting as much distance between us as possible while still remaining in the room. I simply nodded, unsure if he was actually there on not. The last few minutes had been unreal. Before he shut the door, he opened it a crack.

"Good night, Carly," He recited quickly. Two door clicks later, I turned over to sleep. The night hadn't been kind, and I could faintly hear birds singing. I shut my eyes, praying sleep would overtake me. The final image to reach my closed eyes was Yusei, and I drifted soon after.

My dream yesterday differed greatly from my usual endeavors. It left me a little giddy and panicked. You would think after three consecutive remodels of the city I would be used to change. Yet, the changes implied by the muddled dream left me weary. So, I opted to ogle the lovely furniture instead. The colors were bright and just my style, royal purple offset with white trimming. The tables and tv stand did indeed have rounded edges. But that was as much as I could admire them, I had to get ready. I had thirty minutes to get down there, and thanks, to my stupidly worded confession, I was likely going alone.

I settled into my usual routine for the morning which involved assembling my gear and fueling my body for its upcoming obstacles. Oh, how I wish I had a coffee maker. Sadly, There wasn't even time to go order a coffee. As if by magic, I stepped into the kitchen and found a coffee maker. There was a note attached which simply said, enjoy the coffee, signed Kiryu. I love him, and his coffee maker bringing ways. Still, I was baffled by how I had managed to catch Yusei and not him sneaking in. He could have snuck out during the commotion or actually come later when I dead to the world. There was also the possibility Kiryu was better at sneaking into the house. I should have been freaking out. Yet, nothing but good things had come from his midnight trips so far.

As I indulged in coffee, the doorbell rang. I set the cup down and navigated around the sporadically placed furniture. Opening the door, I found Yusei sporting casual attire since he was taking the day off to escort me. I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure how much damage yesterday had caused and part of me thought the last half must have been imagined.

"I called Aki last night after I left. She was in the middle of class." He reiterated, and it sounded rehearsed like he had painstakingly thought over what would be best to say. I frowned because he had chosen to immediately call her. I hadn't imagined anything. Something almost happened, and he felt guilty.

"She felt bad and said she would call earlier next time since I missed her," Yusei mumbled with downcast eyes. I bit my lip. He was really torn up about it. I think its time to use one of my natural gifts: feigning obliviousness.

"Eh, you called her late last night. Why? Did you land that hard on your head where I tackled you?" I chattered enthusiastically. My prattle disrupted his moping and confused him. Great Carly, now finish him.

"I don't really remember that much about last night. I was really tired." I continued which did the trick. He relaxed and smiled. We casually walked down the stairs of my apartment to his D-wheel. I even thought of a way to sell the white lie fully beyond a reasonable doubt.

"How is Aki anyway? ' I inquired which surprised Yusei. He obliged all the same.

"Blossoming, she is doing well with her studies and making new friends. She loves Germany like a second home." He stated with pride and a minor affliction of uneasiness when he mentioned the second part. He noticed that I noticed and pulled himself together.

"So, your first instinct when confronting a robber is to hug them," He teased and successfully changed the subject. We slipped into the D-wheel, and I handed over the instructions to Demak's.

"No, I was cranky and wanted to hit something. So, I tackled you down," I insisted.

"Uh-huh," He responded disbelievingly. We were traveling to the outskirts of the city to a sector once belonging to Satellite. The rest of the ride remained silent until reaching our destination.

"Mikage couldn't find anything past his place of work and lack of criminal record, but we need to stay on a guard," He warned me, especially reserved now that we were in unfamiliar ground.

"Why didn't she tell me this herself?" I asked curiously. It seemed strange that she would bypass me in favor of Yusei.

"You don't have a phone, but I'm working on it," He informed me. I slapped my forehead as punishment for forgetting. Poor Mikage had to improvise. The second part threw me, and I puzzled as to how he found the time to build my new furniture in the first place.

"Do you ever sleep?" I wondered.

"No, I am actually a ghost agent who survived the mass genocide of our species. I have successfully usurped Yusei Fudo's life. He has been dead for years," He claimed smartly. I shuddered because that could have happened to Jack easily.

"Not funny," I whined. He smirked and climbed out of the bike and assisted me in doing the same. He surveyed the area while settling his sights on the dark expanse in front of us. Astonishingly, it was the opposite of Yusei's place of work in every way: intimidating, rounded, with greater width than height. Inside, the feel was classy and sophisticated, prints of famous paintings abounded, the lights were dim, the furniture snooty and comfortable. Yusei took charge and led us to the editor's office across the multitudes of cubicles and offices. Demak's name hung above the chief and editor's sign gloriously. The calm cultured atmosphere made a great impression on me. I definitely wouldn't mind working here depending on what his underlying motives were.

I grasped the handle of the doorknob and slowly opened the door. The man was colossal, looking as if he belonged in the wilderness rather than behind a cherry oak desk. He didn't notice me spy as he sat overlooking some papers. African motifs were present all over the office. The walls were decorated in bold earthy tribal patterns. Chimpanzee figurines smiled sheepishly at me. The large giraffe lamps in the back pointed their noses in the air haughtily. The life size lion figure peered curiously at me from beside his desk. Lively pet ferns hung on the opposite shelves. There was one thing off in the entire ensemble, the beautiful inclusion of a cerulean dragon curled up on his desk. The rosy gossamer wings were unfurled and resembled a butterflys'. Its serpentine body was encased in golden armor and its glassy fuschia eyes calmly demanded respect. I could almost have sworn it was alive. I entered wishing to get a closer look at the enchanting figure. Yusei, however, seemed more on edge at its presence. Now that we were in plain sight, Demak put aside his work to greet us.

"Hello Carly. Not the signer I expected to accompany you, but perhaps, you simply have a taste for them." He commented passively. Yusei flinched. The comment struck a nerve. I bowed my head down uncomfortably. I didn't like what he was suggesting either.

"What do you want with her?" Yusei demanded and reclaimed my hand for an easy exit. Now, that is was apparent that this was the same man he had encountered earlier. He seemed intent on turning back. Demak shook his head at him.

'I've already told her that. I'm interested in talking to her not you. She's a capable young reporter who doesn't need to be on a signer's leash," He dictated snidely. Yusei narrowed his eyes at him. I gulped nervously. How exactly did Yusei know him?

"I'm simply looking out for a friend. I've seen how you can be. Therefore, I don't trust you." He stated icily. Demak's glee only increased at Yusei's reply.

"Funny, you should say that, if you only knew," He stated smugly. His attention turned to me. My hands wouldn't hold still, and I kept standing up and sitting down as I failed to decide what to do. Yusei hadn't released his grip on my hand either. He patted my back to comfort me which caused Yusei's glare to intensify. My nerves stood on end. I should have asked before hand what exactly happened last time they met. I couldn't do so now that we were here.

"Don't worry Carly. We must first discuss our past differences in order to move forward. Yusei, I'm afraid that I'm not the man you remember." He claimed to which Yusei scoffed. Demak ignored him.

"I've always had an attachment to legends and my native Africa. Since I was a young boy, I could see spirits, an ability few manage to retain," Demak bragged as I listened with interest. I'd heard of that gift. Most found it fascinating as a remarkable amount of duelists with this ability did well in tournaments, among them Ruka, a former member of 5ds. Yusei heard and waited for the conclusion before making judgements. He didn't look overly forgiving, however.

"She was mine first. I know that is no excuse for what I did, but I loved her. You know. I had this especially made as an avatar for her to play in the mortal realm. She spoke kindly and often offered me advice. We were inseparable until she came along," He explained, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"She left me. I don't even remember what exactly she said. I was depressed for a long time. Then, a new spirit claimed to be able to bring her back to me, and I listened, " He revealed vaguely and payed careful attention to my reaction. I was sympathetic as I had faced abandonment before. He duly noted my pity but seemed disappointed as he carried on.

"I stole her from Ruka physically and spiritually. I was no longer pure. My obsession with her cost me my spiritual sight, a fact which only increased my rage because I lost her and any chance of recapturing a similar bond. I'm afraid my quest for her was foolish and primal. I wish for us to forget the past. Forgive me as you have the others," He demanded, continuing his staring contest with Yusei. My jaw dropped at the revelation. He stole a card from a little girl, okay, a talking card, but still, not something I wanted to hear from a potential boss. He hadn't said everything which meant I knew only half the puzzle. He mentioned a spirit. Maybe, it was an evil spirit.

Yusei reluctantly let go of my hand to shake Demak's hand as a peace offering. Demak smiled briskly and shook vigorously. They actually appeared to be trying to pull each others arm off from my point of view. Yusei eased somewhat but didn't take his eyes off Demak. The editor had earned his forgiveness but not his trust.

"Carly, I'm sure you have your own questions. Especially, if you are considering taking my offer, now this is what I'm prepared to give you." He dictated handing me a note, careful not to let my friend see it. Yusei rolled his eyes and stood patiently behind me. He had shifted into body guard mode since there was no need to be openly hostile. I could feel his eyes on me. If I wanted to make my own decision, I would have to banish Yusei for a while.

"Could you wait outside the office? I want to talk to him alone," I asked politely. Yusei frowned, not liking the suggestion at all. I stared at him expectantly which admittedly worked wonders. He turned around but gave a final warning.

"I warn you. I have excellent hearing," He added before closing the door shut.

With no visible outside influence, I peeked at the number. Wow. It was ten times what I generally made. The place was nicer, and if he didn't threaten to fire me every other day, we had a winner. There was the little matter of his colorful past.

"You're reformed?" I asked him naively. Right, if he was lying, he'd tell you right to your face. Demak let out a bellowing laugh.

"As sure as you are that Kiryu can get into your apartment whenever he wants to." He reassured me. I did a double take. Wait. He knew Kiryu?

"How did you know about that?" I demanded defensively. Maybe, he was a creepy stalker man. Its okay should something go wrong. I'll scream really loudly, and Yusei will bolt in. Demak rubbed his head in annoyance.

"The lizard and I do keep contact you know. We are used to keeping tabs on you two," He remarked earnestly. There's that name again, lizard.

"Who is the lizard?" I inquired in genuine confusion.

"I suppose it's too much to ask that you remember the nicknames. You are acquainted with Misty Lola correct?" He presumed tiredly. He knew Misty too? The coincidences were starting to get eerie.

"Yeah, I am, but how did you guys meet? Or Kiryu for that matter?" I confirmed and asked, waiting for further explanation. He sighed, looking relieved.

"I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. My hands are tied. She'd kill me if something I said, set you off."He asserted morbidly. My deeply hidden past was beginning to get frustrating, especially since everyone seemed to be in on it. Demak's attention drifted to the statue on his desk briefly before addressing me.

"So what do you say? Would you like to work here?" He questioned optimistically. I didn't distrust him as Yusei did, even with the freakish mystery rearing its ugly head. Still, I few more professional questions couldn't hurt.

"You publish world news as well as national. Would that require traveling?" I inquired.

"Some traveling occurs from time to time for important pieces or is allowed for an article if you provide the proper reasoning and research for it. We fund your work expenses of course," He informed me. I nodded. Company paid travel, sweet.

" You said I would have more freedom in what I wrote. What position would I be filling exactly?" I pointed out.

"You're a reporter Carly. Simply, bring me something people will read. Get me a scoop so to speak," Demak advised. So, he wanted me to dash off and bring in whatever dastardly news I could get a hold of. I did that already, and it is so much more money. I don't know. Yusei might get angry, but it's a step forward when I've been going in circles.

"You get an office," Demak mentioned innocently. I get an office.

"A pretty office?" I chirped.

"Yeah, sure. I'll even give you a small sum to personalize it if you want. I already know I'll be spending a fortune covering heath cost," He told me with mild amusement. I get a pretty office and good health insurance. Time to know for sure if Yusei can hear through the door.

"See you tomorrow, sir," I confirmed happily. Demak nodded bearing a triumphant countenance while eyeing the door.

"Here is your office key. You officially start work at ten a.m., but I don't expect you to be in the building most of the time because of field work. Now, I think you should go to your signer. I sense he's distressed," He instructed. I scratched my head and nervously attempted to correct my new boss.

"He's not my, um, signer. We're just friends," I faltered slightly. The almost kiss. The almost kiss. The almost kiss. Shut up brain, that was a complete misunderstanding.

"He acts like he's yours," He insisted while filing paper work. I shuffled out of the office embarrassed. I think arguing with him just makes it worse. Yusei was leaning against the wall next to the door. He didn't look overly thrilled but mustered enthusiasm.

"Congratulations on the new job. I guess he seems better than he was, " He acknowledged. My decision wasn't popular, but I believe it's a good one. I hope my old boss takes it better than Yusei did. Time to distract him. I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Come on, I still need a phone, a toaster, a microwave, and for you to move the furniture in an aesthetically pleasing manner," I barked orders at him. He smiled a little at my sudden list of demands. Then, he thought over the list.

"What about a coffee maker? You really like coffee," He suggested. I was weaving through the building rapidly. I hesitated to tell him. Kiryu knew that I would appreciate the coffee maker. He also knew how to rile Yusei. Was it some sort of test? He did say Yusei liked building things for girls he liked, or maybe, Kiryu enjoyed spoiling me with random presents.

"About that, I already have one. It kinda showed up on its own," I mumbled. At this point, I knew he would figure out who bought it for me. Yusei curled his fist in realization.

"Kiryu," He fumed in annoyance. He acts like he's yours. Demak's claim echoed through my head. I cast the thought aside. It was a friendly game to them. What does that monkey know anyway? We reached the outside world. Compared the dim inside, the sun shone brilliantly so that I had to get used to the brightness again. Quietly, we settled into our seats. Then, he made fine point.

" Time passed so quickly, I can't believe I'm almost done. I should have everything replaced by the end of the week," Yusei let me know, relaxing the further away we were from Demak's. As we rode on, I mulled over the news, reaching an alarming conclusion. Two more days, and that's it. No more Yusei.


	8. Obsessions

Obsessions

Obsessions aren't pretty. I, unfortunately had a knack for accumulating them. One in particular had taken over this morning. I should have been getting ready for work, and here I was doodling. Yesterday's encounter with Demak awakened shadows and flickers of memory. Most of it wasn't making sense. There was one thing that absently came to mind perfectly, a motorcycle. Originally, magenta with streamlined orange streaks, I was making adjustments to the imaginary bike. The new shape was bulbous instead of jagged. The main body was black although I kept the orange lines. Finally, the sketch felt complete, and I set it down.

I considered continuing to draw as a sort of therapy, but nothing else that drifted to mind was clearly defined. So, I reluctantly stepped away from the drawing. The bell rang, and my second obsession became prevalent. When exactly would he stop coming? There was very little left to replace unless I planned to sabotage my shiny new stuff. I couldn't do that. For one, he would probably realize that I did so on purpose using some sort mechanic sixth sense. Two, I liked my shiny new stuff. No matter, at least, he was here now, unless Demak had turned out to be a creepy stalker man after all.

"Hello, Yusei," I greeted warmly. He placed a new cell phone in my hand, a purple one. Maybe, I should mention that I like other colors too, black and orange for example. We stood in front of each other, and I could almost imagine standing outside his door this awkwardly when all was said and done. I invited him in, even if I only had thirty minutes. He stepped inside. I wondered if he would be paranoid enough to follow me to work today, dropping off the phone could have waited until the afternoon.

"I asked Aki what she planned after her schooling was done," He informed me. His expression was full of dread, and he almost collapsed onto the chair. This couldn't be good news. I felt a little conscious of being his personal confidant. Was there no one else he could turn to? We hadn't met all that long ago really. After there was no need for house calls, no leaky faucet, would he simply go elsewhere? The closeness almost seemed real, and yet I dreaded that this friendship had an expiration date.

"She's thinking of staying in Germany, and didn't know how to tell me. I'm starting to think," He trailed off thoughtfully. By his frantic fidgeting, his brain was working on overdrive, slaving over what that would mean in the long run. I maybe second guessing myself, but he came to me for a reason. The problem was I couldn't solve this in thirty minutes or less, and I wasn't sure that I was qualified to meddle in the first place. I would think that my opinion would hold a certain amount of bias. Then again, I can offer him something else.

" You once told me that what's important is a friends happiness. She may or may not come back to you, but she will never forget you. No German pastry will change that," I consoled him. Yusei tried not to smile. He wanted to sulk. Except, he couldn't argue with words he had said himself. I had an inkling of what he needed to hear.

"You've poured your heart into this city. I understand why you've chosen to stay, and I want you to know that my path lies here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you," I promised, and meant it completely. Yusei straightened from his hunched position on the table. My words sparked a tendril of hope in him. His wandering hands found my design and his eyes fixated on it curiously. His gaze then fell on me.

"Thank you. I know that we haven't known each other long, but you mean a lot to me," He conceded. A warmth as sweet as eating a fresh bread roll passed through me. What he said made me believe that despite how it started, there was a chance our friendship would last.

Our heart to heart improved his demeanor a great deal. He sat depressurized on the chair staring at me with rapt attention. He subtly pulled the other chair back so I could sit with him. Clearly, he wasn't done talking. I needed to go to work, and had twenty minutes to get there. The hard part often isn't the physical pain and obstacles, but those small choices that appear deceivingly simple. I could send Yusei away with a good conscious in his current state, but he still needed my help.

"Have you and Jack been close since he left? I'm sorry if that's too personal, but being so far away from her is driving me crazy. If she does stay in Germany, I want to know it can work out," He asked reluctantly as he came to grips with the fact that Aki might never step foot in Japan again. I wanted to lie so badly. To tell him, we were as close as they were and what he was feeling was perfectly natural. That it would work out. That never touching didn't matter, and holographic images of her were enough. That he could always visit and she could do the same. My integrity wouldn't let me. A reporter shouldn't lie when it counts. It was time to say what I was avoiding believing.

"I don't have Jack's number. I haven't seen him in over a year. He kicked me to the curb when I tried to go with him. Trust me, what you two are pulling off is amazing," I confessed, and it took all my will power not to cry.

What I said gave him some perspective, in comparison, they were getting along swimmingly. Aki's plans, at least, involved him. My problems were literally starting to well up to the surface. For one, he had the poor Carly look on his face. This could lead to a number of things considering the man I was dealing with. No, he did not get out the phone. Don't call, Jack. Don't call, Jack. Don't call, Jack. He was calling Jack. I tried to rip the phone from his clutches. Strategically, he encased me in a hug which, sadly, neutralized me.

After a few agonizing rings, I did not hear what I expected. An answering machine came onto the line making Yusei frown. Perfect, he won't even answer Yusei's calls. I don't feel so bad getting the brush off when even he gets the cold shoulder.

"I'm afraid that the tag team tournament he is in has him forwarding all calls to his answering machine. He won't check or answer until its over in a couple of weeks," He relayed tiredly speaking from experience. Good, I can avoid having a conversation with Jack just yet. The waterworks under my glasses indicated I wasn't ready. I waited a year so a few more weeks meant nothing to me. Yusei had other ideas.

" Normally, I would give Jack the benefit of the doubt and not interfere. However," He stopped and took the time to snatch my glasses. The tears were too many and too apparent to wipe away. He wrapped his arms around me. No, must stop crying harder. Must escape loving embrace and hide in some dark corner.

"He made you cry and that is unacceptable," He whispered. I shook involuntarily. His deep voice was hard to ignore.

"I can help you get a hold of Jack, but I need to the absolute truth. Does Jack love you?" He prodded softly. A man holding me in his arms asked if another man loved me, that had to be a trick question. Even though, I had literally spent hours contemplating that answer, and it should have been an obvious no. I couldn't say it.

"Yes," I blubbered out. My painfully optimistic nature would be the death of me. Yusei closed his eyes and sighed.

"Then, this will actually be very easy provided you play along." He surmised cryptically. He lifted me and carried me out the door.

"Is there a plan? " I questioned hopefully. He locked the door, easily carrying me on one arm. To anyone else, the situation would look romantic. I, on the other hand, was starting to think Yusei had gone bonkers.

"Jack doesn't like it when I have something he wants. If he thinks I have you, he'll come get you," Yusei specified matter factly. Don't I feel all special hearing that I would be picked up again like an old forgotten toy. Looking past my dismay, the plan had a major flaw. Any staged amorous endeavors, would not reach Jack short of bombarding the media.

"Crow's a notorious gossip. If we can fool him into thinking its true, he will find a way to torture Jack with the news," Yusei explained as he walked down the stairs. The plan heavily depended on Crow contacting him which seemed faulty at best. The odds suited my motives just fine as I couldn't deal Jack right now much less an irrational angry Jack.

We buckled into the D-wheel that had miraculously grown more spacious. It didn't keep me from holding him close, and he showed no visible signs of caring either way. The scenery suggested we were heading to Poppo time. The ride passed as quickly as a cartoon in a flip book. There were many violations of traffic laws as well as near misses to the pavement on my part. His frantic pace made me think he suffered from an underlying desperation as he focused on a problem that he could do something about.

My feet were prevented from reuniting with the ground. Infuriatingly, Yusei's arms were content to keep me aloft until his mad spell lifted.

"You can't pull this off. I'm a horrible liar. I'll end up giving you away completely," I reprimanded as I attempted to get down. He got the hint and let me go.

"It won't be an act. Besides, forced perspective can do wonders," Yusei answered slyly. Turning on his phone, he scrolled down until the name Crow Hogan came into view and clicked. Eep, I don't even get rehearsal time. He propped the device so the camera faced us and calculated the best angle for me to face. Finally, he placed a firm hand behind my back in preparation. I wasn't sure I liked were this was going. Crow answered, suspecting nothing out of the ordinary. Yusei reacted expertly. He dipped me so he could emulate a passionate kiss and hovered inches from my face. From Crow's angle, he saw enough to assume that he caught Yusei at a bad time. He whistled and laughed.

"You want me to break it to Aki or should I?" Crow teased until Yusei presented my flushed face. He gasped in mild shock.

"Hello Crow, I was actually hoping you'd break it to Jack. I can't reach him, and I couldn't go much further with a clear conscience," Yusei corrected him, and snaked his hand across my torso as he did. Implying all sorts of things which were running rampantly through my head and spreading heat across my cheeks.

Crow looked stumped as if he had dialed the wrong number or had tapped into some alternate universe. He mustered up enough nerve to speak.

"That's Carly," He directed at Yusei as if he had done something unspeakable. Crow had never really taken a shine to me. He also didn't seem eager to pass the news along to Jack.

" Yes, I met her about a week ago, and it lead to all sorts of discoveries," He regaled shifting to a half whisper as he neared my ear. I shivered as he used my body's involuntary reactions to lie for me. I also noted that nothing he said was technically untrue.

He continued to spiral further into confusion before piecing together an appropriate response to the decidedly candid Yusei before him.

"Wow. You really don't remember seeing her around? She was like a plague to our household. You two were in the same room more than once, and you're telling me you barely noticed her a week ago? I guess a girl has to whip you to get your attention," Crow taunted recovering from our little stunt. I don't think he bought it, and he was calling Yusei's bluff. The comments were enough make Yusei falter. He began to unwrap his arm from my waist, but I held it steady and leaned on him. His cheeks were slightly tinted most likely due to the underhanded references to Aki's dark years.

"I, uh, had a lot of threats to the city to distract me," Yusei muttered, ignoring Crow's last comment. Crow cackled mischievously.

"I guess it didn't help that building the engine made you a bit of a recluse," Crow added knowingly. Yusei agreed, even if his face indicated that he enjoyed the activity enough not to care. Crow moved onto matters of scrutiny and analyzed us from head to foot. Thanks to my quick save, we were still in an intimate embrace. He scratched his head, puzzled. Despite Yusei's claim otherwise, Crow seemed reluctant to believe us.

"Why do you like her?" Crow decided to ask, acting as if it was the most horrible decision Yusei ever made. Hey, I'm not that frumpy. Yusei took the opening.

" Because she makes me smile as silly as that is, and no matter how much trouble it causes her, she'll try and make you feel better," Yusei claimed sporting a brilliant smile while squeezing me tighter. Why I would have bought it if I wasn't already in on it. Crow shook his head as if to dispel the illusion. He took a second look and grinned as he had before he had stumbled upon our little show.

"Holding hands, that's more like the Yusei I know," Crow decided smugly. I looked down. I really hadn't noticed that. By the way he immediately unlatched his hand when Crow pointed it out, he hadn't either.

"He won't like it, but better he hear it from family than the tabloids the way you two were going at it," Crow announced saucily. Yusei acted as embarrassed as I did at the rude remark. Yusei stared at Crow's grinning face and caught what Crow meant, however.

"Goodbye Crow," Yusei said somewhat amused.

"Goodbye Yusei," Crow replied and ended the call in mid chuckle. He didn't know what game we were playing, but he didn't mind doing his part.

"What now?" I asked, relieved that we hadn't failed miserably, sort of.

"We wait," Yusei instructed patiently. I nodded in response. If Jack called, I'd answer. If he didn't, I'd live .

"Come, I have kitchen appliances for you," He announced enthusiastically. I sighed and followed, knowing that they were the last things missing from my apartment. At least, today had proven to me that I needn't be paranoid about our friendship, now, our hypothetical love life possibly.


	9. Unburied

Unburied

There was a stillness to the next two days, like if I had awoken from a strange dream and everything was suddenly in order. The apartment held everything I could possibly want. Work once again took priority. Demak's prompt and subtly threatening call saw to that. I expected no one to surprise me anymore, or at least, Yusei had become distant after the end of his labor.

The lie we told was just that, a lie. Yusei, soon after, ushered me out of his place full of kitchen supplies. Never have I been so sad to receive free stuff. Our pretense for visiting each other was gone. He claimed to have a new project that he needed to attend to. I saw no reason to keep him. He has done so much for me already. I couldn't blame him for being busy. For all I know, the time he spent helping me had interrupted his real job. The days following resulted in a string of pathetic attempts to contact him.

Every time I called, we went through a meager amount of small talk, and he excused himself to work on his new project. The interactions were so brief. I was beginning to get discouraged. Could he be tolerating me now only out of politeness? He said I mattered to him, but that consoled me little. Jack had cared at first too. Which brought me to a rather sore spot, Jack himself either had heard the news and stayed as passive as ever, or continued to be unreachable, even with the help of Crow, a self-proclaimed expert. So, I remained Jack-less.

The world must be enacting some karmic retribution. I get someone's attention easily enough, but I can't seem to keep them interested. Not Jack. Not Misty. Not Yusei. The phone rang and startled me. I was becoming unaccustomed to it. There were much longer gaps between calls. Demak, once I actually showed up for work, took a hands off approach. If I turned in suitable work, I received no death threats, a welcomed change from the constant barking of my old boss.

"Hello Yusei," I said rather over eagerly. I genuinely missed the guy, and he called me, successfully breaking the hum drum of repeated calls made by yours truly.

"Carly, come over, I have a surprise for you," He dictated promptly, a soft click followed. Hung up already? But I barely got a word in, and I had a lot of words wanting to bubble to the surface. As disappointing as the length of the call was, Yusei's surprises never disappointed.

Free from work duties, I snatched my keys from the counter and sprinted to my yellow cab. Even with my petite figure, the car was a tight fit. I've smashed my head on the way in and out of it more times than an average person ever hit their noggin. The car had lasted a long while despite the initial sputtering that the salesman said was an easy fix, yeah, as long as you had the cash. In my long and troublesome relationship with my cab, the sound had turned into a sort of comfort. Click. Clack Clomp. Click. Clack. Clomp.

Actually, it was lucky that Yusei never gave a second thought to giving me a ride. He would have long ago hushed her nonsensical blathering. I'd miss the old girl's lively rhythm if he ever did. I better park a block away, just in case. I wouldn't want any accidental fixes to occur. So in my noble quest to hide away my cab, I walked, not running into anything of much consequence. I did step on a piece of gum, and some lady's cigarette did almost set my hair on fire, but they were the inconsequential annoyances and dangers of traversing the city.

I arrived at his place, skipping down the small stair way without missing a beat. My unbelievably high spirits had me defying gravity. I was staying on my feet today. The world had fixed itself mostly. Whatever working spell had taken hold of him was gone. The sight before me confirmed it.

Drained, content, and collapsed on the sofa, Yusei grinned at my approach. Oil grease marked his clothes and face, clinging to him like a second skin. His hair even looked duller, layered in dust. A piece of crumpled paper stuck out of his pocket, likely an impromptu plan. He forced himself up and grabbed my hand excitedly. His expression resembled a kid wanting to show off a new toy. He's practically vibrating. I followed him into the garage area where the famed new project was located.

I could tell, even from within the hidden sheets, that it was a bike. Not much else would have him this excited. The shape looked familiar. I eyed the plans in his shirt pocket and snatched it. My missing sketch. Oh dear.

"I made it for you," Yusei explained from behind me, sounding pleased. He stepped forward and unveiled the shining replica. The innocent bike made my head reel. A sudden lapse in reality and I drifted into the tantalizing shadows of my mind. Dammit, love me. I . . . I snapped out of the distant memory. My body involuntarily shook. That thing, couldn't be here, mocking me still. I didn't want it. I clutched my head and started swaying slightly. Yusei, I don't want it. I warned him although I realized too late no sound had come out.

A bright shining heap of hatred passed through me. The bold overbearing colors made me want to hurl. I could have sworn it moved and the sensation of falling overwhelmed me the longer I stared at it. That thing would kill me if I let it. The crow bar was conveniently in reach.

I raised my chosen weapon. The massacre turned barbaric as I enjoyed every mechanical canker and callous I caused. A manic smile replaced my sickly visage. In my mind I simply heard Click, Clack, and Clomp, over and over again. By the time I was satisfied with my handiwork, the curved front resembled the crumpled sketch that I carelessly tossed to the floor. The body bowed to the pressure of the iron. I tore at the wheels with the nearby screw driver until they burst. Yusei stood there, rendered immobile. I don't know if it was my utter rejection, or that the mere sight was unbelievable. Good, how dare he bring to life something that had such power over me, even if I can't remember why. One thing floated to the surface of my mind and stuck. The bird, my nickname was the bird.

For the grand finale, the engine began to scream in agony while spouting steam. The warning signs spurred Yusei to action. He pushed me aside. The engine sparked and crackled. Yusei immediately tended to it like a hurt child. I scoffed, never mind that it could easily set on fire. I found his caring nature so weak. The screams turned into pitiful whimpers and finally deathly silence. Yusei sat next to the bike's remains forlornly. I laughed pompously as if it was hardcoded into my system, how silly to mourn an inanimate object. He raised himself from its putrid remains and disarmed me. The weapon flew half way across the room. I suspected that I angered him. But I, I wasn't myself. I'm not myself while that ghastly thing exists. It can never die.

Yusei restrained my arms, and dragged me out of the room. That doesn't work. I've tried. It's in my head. He put me down on the couch and wrapped me in blankets. You're such a pain. Why don't you fight back? It feels really good. He sat next to me like a good loyal mutt.

"What's wrong?" He asked, completely baffling me. Why don't they ever fight back? No matter how much I hurt them. They always want to save me.

"You brought a monster into this house." I answered plainly. He chuckled a little. I could see behind the bravado he was nervous. No sane person attacks inanimate objects.

"No, I don't think that was you honestly, not entirely. Now, I'm going to call someone, but that does not mean I'm ignoring you," He suggested cautiously. He wrapped his arm around my waist. Right, term of affection, or prison so I don't go after your bike next. I attempted to leave since I was growing restless. I'm missing something. This picture isn't right.

" Not right now," He reprimanded stonily. I obeyed when I heard that tone. Yusei's patience was wearing thin. No one outright lets the person who had a psychotic episode leave. He could and would tie me up if necessary.

"Hello Kiryu, please pick up," He prayed with slight hopelessness. The strands of malice began to slip away as I was given nothing to destroy, manipulate, or want. I experimentally lifted a hand. Yusei confiscated it in his free one. He bent his head until he came close to my ear.

"Behave," He commanded seriously. I responded very easily. I'm too used to men ordering me about, and Yusei did it so rarely. Infuriatingly, he went right back to trying to reach Kiryu. I pulled his hair. I actually saw him grit his teeth. I giggled uncontrollably. His face lit up.

"Oh good, Kiryu, you answered," He replied in relief. No, I want your attention. I smacked the phone away, and planted one on him. His cheeks turned crimson like that of his lowly Crimson Dragon. I think I picked the wrong Signer. He's so polite. I like to see him fight me. Yusei went limp like a rag doll cat for an instant before recovering. He picked up the phone and proceeded to strategically capture me in a more immobilizing position.

"Carly's not acting like herself," Yusei commented absently, pressing the button to project Kiryu's face in front of us. He's practically brain dead. Good, a few more advances, and I can really get him to play.

"Hnn, and what exactly do you think I can do about it?" He confided suspiciously. I caught him staring and waved. He waved back, seeming more amused by the prospect than upset.

"You know her," Yusei stated factually. That had been apparent since I first met him, but Kiryu sighed in agitation.

"Tell me what happened, and I'll see what I can justify telling you without evoking Misty's wrath. By the looks of things, you've more reason to fear her than me," Kiryu insinuated as I began to peck at Yusei's neck the only part I could reach at the moment. Come on push me away, return the favor, react little signer. Yusei held his face in his hand and counted down to ten. He, then, countered my onslaught by semi suffocating me with a pillow.

"She completely trashed a bike I built for her," He confessed before realizing what he said.

"Oh, did you? Keep going," Kiryu grinned wolfishly, such a predator, just like me.

"You don't understand. I only wanted to show her some gratitude by building her that black and orange bike she sketched. Besides, your theory doesn't hold up," He pouted somewhat, and Kiryu laughed the way only he can.

"Black and orange? Damn, and everyone was betting that Demak would set her off. Oh, Yusei, the mess you've started. Since you don't see it, I'm going to have to point it out. Out of the dark signers that survived who haven't you run into? " Kiryu inquired. Yusei took a second for consideration and answered confidently.

"Jack's" Yusei seemed befuddled by the relevance of the question. Kiryu put a finger on his chin and pretended to take his time on the second inquiry.

"Now, Carly knows Demak, Misty and last of all me. Put the pieces together Yusei," Kiryu practically spat in annoyance. His mouth hung open as it clicked.

"When she said Misty, she meant," He whispered, somehow lost in thought while keeping hold of me and continuing to press the pillow to my face. Dark Signer. The name slips out of the signers mouths so much, and they never tell me what it means. Never ever. I want to know, but I'm running out of air. It comes to this, death by pillow, not what I want my tombstone to read at all. I struggled to break free, and as I slipped close to unconsciousness, I reexamined my recent activity. Oh, I've been very bad, and I couldn't seem to stop. I didn't think there was anything wrong. Yusei became aware of my declining fighting spirit and lifted the pillow. I inhaled the sweet polluted air.

"Sorry, I almost suffocated you," He apologized as if he'd simply tripped me or something less life threatening. I stuck out my tongue at him. I shook my head, unable to shake the negativity brewing inside.

"You. I guess. I. I don't blame you for anything that happened today. If I did, Kiryu would certainly call me on it. I've forgiven him for worse," Yusei alleged with a wry smile.

"You better not," Kiryu muttered although his tone implied that he didn't expect Yusei to go back on his word. I did bad though, really bad insulting things. I have to say something.

"Yusei I'm so sorry. I did not mean to objectify you in any way," I claimed resolutely. Yusei released me as if I'd been declared poisonous.

"Oh that," He said as if it had completely slipped his mind. He rubbed his neck, and I could hear him recalling the cards in his deck trying to purify himself of wayward thoughts. My more forward actions must have come to mind. Kiryu laughed uncontrollably, okay, not the best way to make the situation less awkward.

"What a pair of lovebirds, " Kiryu declared joyously. Yusei wasn't convinced and grunted some form of uh. Maybe it was the keyword love. Maybe it was that something similar had almost occurred recently, but all at once, I could see his thoughts center around Aki. The pure unabashed shame on his face made me certain of it. I grabbed him by the shoulders. I'll be damned before I let him feel guilty about me smashing his present and being er aggressive.

"No, you will not feel guilty about this. Yusei, I'm the one that seduced you." I shouted. Yusei's only reaction was to compose himself and pretend I said nothing. I realized how idiotic I sounded and let him go. We gradually scooted to opposite end of the couch. I considered rushing out with some lame excuse. Unfortunately, Kiryu knew how to provoke an already uncomfortable situation. To our combined horror, my voice played from Kiryu's end of the line.

"Yusei, I'm the one that seduced you. I'm the one that seduced you. I'm the one that seduced you," He continued to rewind the message tauntingly. Yusei narrowed his eyes. I stepped back involuntarily. I really wish that I was mute. My life would be so much simpler. Kiryu held up the phone and pressed send.

"Message sent to Jack Atlus," The phone informed him passively. Yusei laughed out loud and so did Kiryu. But they. And. He was going to kill him. He had the crazy eyes.

"You know don't you?" Yusei confirmed seeming to fall for the same act over and over. Kiryu's smile pointed to a definite yes.

"Crow is a gossip, remember? I'm thinking that it's more than a scheme though." Kiryu explained as Yusei rolled his eyes. He ignored the siblings silent protests, and moved on.

"By the way, our little Crow found a way to reach him through an embarrassing public display. He's answering phone calls again so I better stop tying up the line," Kiryu concluded knowingly and hung up. After a virtual fist bump, the image fizzled out. We remained awkwardly on opposite sides of the couch, both heavily aware of my past naughtiness.

"Yusei, I won't do anything" I insisted in a childish whine. I patted the place next to me invitingly.

"Liar," Yusei insisted with a smirk. I scooted closer. Yusei clucked in mock disapproval.

"Am I really so compelling?" He marveled with a yawn. He worked tirelessly to give me a thank you present, and now, all he gained were a bunch of sleepless nights. I glanced away coyly. At least, we can laugh away the dire happenstance.

"Yes, I'm obsessed," I admitted with exaggerated grandeur. He laughed at my antics. Encouraged, I said the next thing that came to mind.

"It usually only takes a week." I uttered thoughtlessly. Why do I keep doing that? Yusei froze. Sure you figure that one out right away, but you can't figure out I'm a dark signer until someone spells it out for you. Whatever that means, maybe it's a social club. Everyone else had fairly glamourous jobs: model, editor, town mayor. I don't see how I would be apart of it then if I'm right. The phone rang as if it were Yusei's personal morality compass. Don't let it be Aki, not after that.

"It's for you," Yusei asserted in resignation. Who would call from Yusei's phone for me? I gave everyone I know my new number . . . Except

"Hello Jack," I choked out. Karma must have heard me. I was starting to get lots of attention.


	10. Resurfaced

Resurfaced

A year, and I can't think of anything to say. Actually, it's more of what I'm avoiding saying, the wild exaggerated imaginings that must be going through his head at this point. I could barely keep a grip on the phone the way I'm shaking. I've been dreaming of a reunion for so long. There were minor discrepancies in this fantasy come true. We weren't face to face, and Yusei sat next to me, not having the foresight to give us privacy. In fact . . .

"Put in on speaker," Yusei suggested as if playing the part of parental guardian. I didn't have the nerve to make him leave the room, not at his place and with me holding his phone. I obeyed if only to savor the moment better. With a press of a button, Jack appeared, staring at me objectively.

"I tried to call you on your phone. After hearing an angry Portuguese woman yell at me for good five minutes, I figured you lost it or something," He explained slightly irrate. A mild grimace graced his features before shifting to more agreeable countenance.

"I've been led to believe some very outrageous things. So much so that I thought you might be here, and I was right. Yet, here I see the two of you simply sitting next to each other. Stupid guys," Jack muttered. Right, the reason he really called.

"You've been away a while Jack," Yusei asserted, and I shot him a look. His hand began to slip behind my back, but I manage to catch it. In a familiar struggle, I leaned close to straighten him out, despite how it might look to the outside party looking in.

"Behave," I hissed. There was absolutely no need for further feigned intimacy. Then again, Jack easily interpreted the situation differently.

"I see," He scoffed in annoyance.

"Carly, we need to talk alone," He pressed icily. I dreaded what Yusei would do. Accept, he complied, baring a secretive smile at Jack.

"Sure, Jack, after all, I can talk with her anytime," Yusei told him cheerfully. He shook my hair playfully on his way out. I must admit he triggered Jack's petty nature easily. Jack grumbled something I didn't quite catch, except it ended with no good brother.

"Jack, why did you never call me?" I started, bypassing his interrogation. After a year, I deserve to go first. Jack blanched unprepared for such a thing, a question whose answer would sound bad no matter how he put it. Regret etched into his usually confidant manner.

"You haven't been on my mind. No one has really. There was something Sherry told me that made me think of you," Jack confessed. He waited for me to react. I shouldn't indulge him, not when he outright admitted forgetting me. Then, there was the matter of the matching blonde that had been at his side for countless photos in countless magazines. My curiosity got the better of me.

"What?" I asked in a softer tone than I intended. The hope which filled me wasn't exactly unwelcome.

"Sherry and I don't get along, angry little shrew that she is. During practice, we were completely out of synch and kept crashing. Pissed, she asked me where the hell my heart was. I told her it was with you," He finished poetically. He steals my heart every time. He manages to mesh the right amount of selfishness and charm. I want to forgive him, and yet.

"I've missed you so much, but you haven't. You don't care if you hadn't heard those stupid rumors you wouldn't have called," I realized as the familiar droplets ran down my face. I had wanted him to say he loved me. I had wanted uplifting music in the background. I had wanted us to embrace. I only received a call as an afterthought.

"Don't you ever say that. I do care about you," He shouted without meaning to. His voice quieted by the end of the sentence. My fists clenched, and I glared. He cared enough to let me nurse him back to health. He cared enough for me to pay for his coffee. He cared enough to leave me without any way to contact him. He never called, even when he could have reached me at any time.

"What have you ever done for me?" I screamed, exhibiting pent up frustration. I'm the one always doing things for him.

"I saved you, and loved you even when you tried to kill me. I held you while you were dying in my arms. Everything I'm doing is because you told me to," He raged as if he were talking to an ungrateful child. I... I died. I hurt him, no wonder he ran away from me. I dropped to the floor violently, clutching my stomach as if the acids were pouring out. Jack realized the error in reminding me of it all.

"Carly, it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have said anything," Jack berated himself. I heard the words, but I killed them all. He expects me to blame someone else. Who? Divine. I almost killed him too. I even regretted that. Incoherent shrieks escaped me. Everything came at once, what I did and what I thought to do. Aslla Piscu only had to entice me with promises of love. And for what? For my undying love to simply vanish the moment I met someone else. I'm so fickle. A week, maybe two, and I fall for another guy. I could probably try again and end up with the same result.

In my mind, I fell further and further. My heart pounded as I anticipated the landing and the sickening crack that would follow. I never got that far as I began to crumple into dust. My wailing settled into whimpers as the memories began to overwhelm me. The bad with the good. The good with the bad. Misty's tender embrace along with our storming of the Arcadian building to exact proper assassinations. The alien joy that came from seeing Divine fall to his doom as he had done to me. Satisfaction at seeing our marks wound the city so. Jack, how he consumed my mind. How the bird crooned and encouraged the sickly dementia. I couldn't fathom why it picked me. They couldn't fathom why it picked me. There was a tousle between the dark signers that followed. The boys against the girls until we tried Rudger's patience. We marched down to our respective rooms, and I felt a warmth stemming from their approval. I fought well they told me. I became the pet, the mascot. In the months before the battle, I considered them my family. Kiryu gave me presents every day. Demak scheduled field trips which even Rudger would begrudgingly attend. How it all fell apart, true, it needed to fall apart, but despite the cruelness of my actions, the next set of recollections pained me the most. Oh, the unspeakable dread I felt when one by one my family fell to their respective signers and the confidence and certainty I held when Jack rolled by in his D-wheel. Surely, he meant to be with me. The vision of what I thought was ideal, heck, isn't it better than how we ended up? At least we were happy. I sobbed uncontrollably. Great, I prefer hell to this, how horrible and lonely.

"Carly," He shouted and had been shouting since I withdrew into my self loathing. The longing, the selfish longing for him, and I lost him because of it. The blood, not everyone was simply relieved of their soul. I hurled.

"Carly," He hollered desperately. My first time alone so scared of what I would do. I was the bad guy. Jack would hate me. I thought of the bird's promise, and how I clung to that hellish nightmare and my unspeakable actions after. I would spend the nights creeping into Jack's room to watch him. I killed people without question. Even, the things done in jest like pushing Kiryu off the bridge was too much.

"Yusei" I cried and fell when I tried to stand again. No one answered. I fell into incoherent screaming again when he didn't come. Finally, he resurfaced from upstairs. The walls must be thick. Someone could have murdered me by the time he came down. Knifing myself seemed tempting actually, the one way the memories would stop. Out of breath from dashing downstairs, he examined me worriedly. I convulsed involuntarily.

"Carly," He tried again, but Yusei was the one who responded.

"Goodbye Jack," He replied coldly and hung up. He lifted me from the ground. I examined the tiles as we traveled upstairs, lots of fixed cracks, but they were still there. Cool sheets on my skin. I sank into the bed, his bed. No, I can't, not with you. Are you laughing in hell bird? I tried to get up. He held me in place.

"Stay down. Tell me what happened," He ordered. I hid myself in the sheets. The dark reminded me of my previous black irises. I scrambled out of the sheets, hyperventilating. How pitiful, I'll likely be afraid of the dark now.

"I remember, and I wish I didn't." I told him flatly. He nodded gravely.

"You can stay here for the night if you'd like. I don't think you want to be alone tonight," He offered. I laid back down in response. He rubbed my back soothingly, and admittedly, my insipid thoughts had quieted.

"I'll be in the room next store. Sweet dreams, Carly," Yusei wished me good night, but hesitated outside the door. I'd become drowsy from his constant reassuring touch.

"Mhmm," I mumbled. The door closed, and I drifted into the dark abyss. The peace didn't last long. Fevered dreams plagued me, and I awoke with vivid truths and imaginings circling my head. I thought I heard Aslla Piscu cackle. No way, I'm risking that being my over active imagination. I jumped out of bed and ran into Yusei's room. I shook him awake. He vaguely searched for what I assume was the off button on the alarm clock. I tugged at his shirt, and he turned over with a grunt.

"Yusei, I had a nightmare. Can I stay with you?" I asked uneasily. He opened an eye and tilted his head like he didn't understand why I was at his house in the first place. Slowly, his mental functions awoke, and he registered the question.

"Okay, although it completely defeats the purpose of sleeping in Crow's old room," He commented with a yawn. I nestled in and hugged him tightly. He buried his head in the pillows. I couldn't help but ask.

"You don't have the mark anymore, but the dragon would do you a favor hypothetically right? If something bad happened," I pressed with fresh paranoia. He stared at the ceiling and thought about it.

"Hypothetically, I suppose so," He replied, only half awake. I sighed in relief. I attempted to sleep again. Surely, I would sleep well as long as a Signer was with me.

"Carly, wake up. Everything is okay, stop struggling," Yusei assured me anxiously. Hmm, what? I noticed my hands wrapped around his neck. I gingerly released him.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. I'm nothing but trouble. He threw himself back on the bed and rubbed his bruised neck.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep," He said, brushing off the situation. I laid back down, reluctantly, and made sure to not touch him this time. Let him be alive in the morning. I prayed until I ceased to think consciously.

"Shh shh, don't cry. I'm here. There is no reason to cry. You can't take it back that way. You're just making me upset. Do you want me to be upset?" He argued. I shook my head. Knowing there was a flaw to his reasoning but at three a.m., I wished that I'd go into deep sleep already. He held me close, and his steady breathing calmed me.

"Close your eyes, you're taking pictures for a nature shoot. You have to focus, or the animals will run away," He insisted. But I'm a reporter, what sort of story could I possibly make centering animals? A scandal, a plea for saving the environment, an informative issue on the nature that surrounds us, I yawned. The forest setting did the trick.

An empty bed greeted me this morning. I slipped out of the covers. I hadn't changed into any sleeping ware so I was all set technically. Half stumbling and taking it one step at a time, I traveled precariously downstairs. My head throbbed full of my previous villainous intentions. The living area was empty. I heard rumblings of tools going off. Seeing an opportunity for an easy exit, my flight instinct took over.

I returned to my apartment, knees scraped and head bruised from bumping my head on my cab, not once but twice. Attending to some practical needs, I found myself by the mirror. I lifted my glasses thinking I might find empty black pools. Unsure blue grey eyes stared back at me. Listless, I crawled into bed. A large chunk of my life had been returned to me and I didn't know how to deal with it. True, Jack had told me he loved me, but to my dark self, the one with the pretty eyes and revealing clothes. Once that was over, slowly but surely, he lost any desire to be with me. My eyes turned to the closet. I had an idea.

I opened the closet and ignored my usual wardrobe. I stood on my tippy toes and pulled out a box from the dusty corner. Lifting the lid, I avoided the deck of cards which seemed to whisper hello. Perhaps, I'd answer them someday. Producing a fluid robe from the box, I examined the orange trimming. I almost returned the ensemble back into the dark corner where I left it. But, I had to know if it made a difference.

The outfit hugged my body nicely. I barely felt the cloth on my skin. Briefly, I wondered if it held magical properties. No, I knew quite well where any mysticism lay in the apartment. I realized that maybe the closet remained protected by more than mere chance. I'm the spitting image of before, minus the glasses. It happened that Misty had insisted on procuring a pair of contacts for me. She said she couldn't stand never to see those pretty eyes again. I put them on.

I drove down to Yusei's place. Once again, I heard power tools fast at work. I smiled, at least, he hadn't noticed I left. I walked in and tapped his shoulder. He jumped slightly, quickly covering what he was working on with a sheet.

"Hello Carly, are you feeling better?" He asked with an air of concern. He hadn't turned around.

"Look at me," I instructed, suddenly nervous. He hadn't been all too nice to Demak. I might start getting the same treatment. Cleaning his face first, he obeyed and stopped cold.

"Do I look any different?" I questioned sounding vulnerable. This was stupid. My theory would only earn me a scolding.

"No," He noted with a shrug and started putting away his tools.

"You wanted to go somewhere," Yusei asked looking me up and down. Oh, I wasn't expecting that.

"Okay," I chirped, accidentally flapping my arms like a bird. He chuckled and took my hand.

"There isn't anything bothering you?" He wondered, trying not to look at the outfit but failing. I'd relaxed since yesterday's mental break down. The damage caused by it hadn't disappeared, but I wasn't immobilized by the memories anymore.

"Well, a lot of things started to make sense in retrospect. For example, Misty doesn't like me being to close to the edge of buildings because I died falling off of one." I told him, not thinking much of it. Except that since regaining my memories I had the overwhelming urge to see them all again. I'd give Demak a hug next time saw him.

"You fell off by accident didn't you?" He accused in exasperation. We were standing next to his bike. I tried to think of somewhere to go.

"No, I was investigating the Acardia building and got caught," I said nonchalantly. Yusei frowned as he settled into the seat of his D-wheel.

"Someone pushed you out the building, who?" He inquired possessing an edge to his voice. I should've known mentioning the event would lead to more questions. I joined him on the bike tiredly.

"Divine, he got swallowed by a lizard so let's just drop it okay. I've had to process a lot since yesterday," I begged, finding mentions of my past draining. He uttered an agreement while clenching the bike handles.

"Please be more careful at least," He attempted to compromise. I nodded and Yusei took that as a cue to kick start the bike. Drifting along the road for a while, we eventually arrived at the park.

"I thought you'd like to be some place quiet. You took off in a hurry this morning," He provided as he helped me out of the seat. So, he had noticed.

"Thank you," I said as I took a deep breath. Yusei guided me away from the laughing children and gossiping parents to a nice little clearing full of flowers. I choose not to ask how he found the place. I wouldn't like the answer.

The atmosphere proved a useful meditative place. We laid in the grass exposed to the wonderful fragrance of flowers. We didn't speak, and somehow, I avoided getting lost in my recent turmoil.

Yusei stared into my eyes the entire time. So, maybe, Jack's response had been instinctual, overriding commonsense. It hadn't been love, and neither was this.

"It's nice knowing what your thinking," He concurred, turning over to stretch. Yusei sat up, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"But, you don't have to try so hard. What you wear doesn't matter. It doesn't make you evil, and I don't trust you any less knowing what I know," He comforted me. I embraced him. Right until our end, I got along splendidly with my god despite all its flaws. I couldn't help but think. Oh Piscu, I think you'd like him.

**I'm starting school again. I thought I'd give this to you since I left it at a rather pivotal moment last time. I will try to update this around once a week, but be patient with me.**


	11. Repercussions

Repercussions

Yesterday's outing had me believing that I could handle sleeping alone. Ignoring Yusei's protests, I went home in a fine mood. A sense of peace had enveloped me. And yet, a knife lay by my bedside, I shot out of bed and checked for any signs of blood on me. There was a thin cut visible on my neck. The attempt had been recent. I sighed, and put on a scarf.

I'd simply have to take better precautions. My more violent backlashes were manifesting at night. I grabbed the knife, walking around the fallen furniture and tilted TV to the kitchen. Twirling it, I pondered what to do with my indefinite vacations days. Demak had demanded I take as long as I need. Misty must have talked to him which means Kiryu ratted me out. I should expect her soon.

I fingered the dark robes I had worn yesterday. Not today, I decided and wore my usual attire and thick trifocals. I headed to Yusei's place out of habit. He might even be at work for all I know. The door unlatched easily, and the living area remained empty. Undeterred, I entered the garage where I found him working and chit chatting with Crow on the phone. Another project? He rebounds fast.

"You two?" Crow said aghast. Yusei continued to use the blow torch to weld together metal scraps. I stood behind him, unnoticed. A nice perk of his obsession with mechanics was that he hardly ever payed attention to his surroundings while working, and Crow's face was not angled to see me so I was free to comfortably listen in.

"Yes," He replied easily. Putting my hands over my mouth to keep me from giving away my position, I silently cursed. He's still pretending. I never. And. We're friends. You're too helpful sometimes.

"In my bed," Crow groaned in dismay.

"Your old bed," Yusei corrected, rolling his eyes. I let out the breath that I'd been holding. Oh, our little sleep over yesterday, silly me, nothing wrong with that really, except that time that I tried to strangle him.

"Okay, so you mentioned the touchy feeling crap before, but come on, what's so attractive?" Crow insisted. My, he's really rather blunt. Satisfied with the shape, he turned around. Oops, caught.

"Eyes of a geisha," He proclaimed and lifted my glasses for Crow to see. Curiously amazed, he stared at the new found discovery. Great, Yusei's showing me off. So, he likes my eyes, and yet he's just fine if I hide them, how contradictory.

"Alright, I see your point. Put them away, you're going to blind someone," Crow replied starkly. Yusei smugly returned my glasses to their proper place. I received a backhanded compliment at least. Crow scratched the back of his head and reluctantly, turned to Yusei.

"You did tell Aki what was going on right?" Crow asked worriedly. Yusei messed with the tangled wires in front of him some before replying.

"No need, Jack wouldn't have the foresight to call her, especially with what happened. Unless, you want me to distract her during finals, Crow?" Yusei waited although he obviously knew how the red head would take it.

"Must you point out that your one step ahead of everyone?" Crow sighed in annoyance.

"Anyway, as you know, Kiryu filled me in on everything that you told him. I must admit I was a little worried I'd find you tied up or something." He mumbled, and I gave unbelieving stare. That sort of thing only had happened on one of our more elaborate prank days. What good was a play thing if they couldn't fight back? I relapsed again. I rubbed my forehead to combat the incoming migraine. Maybe he had a point.

"However, Crow the bullet is officially reassured. See ya, Yusei," Crow said with a salute. He must think that a timid creature like me couldn't possibly be a liability. Look a little closer at Yusei's neck Crow, I thought idly, unsure why I took offense.

"Goodbye Crow, and you really must make up your mind whether I'm lying to you or not. You can't have it both ways," Yusei instructed with arms crossed. Crow thought about it.

"What if I want to believe it's a lie, but have yet to disprove it?" Crow wondered, disliking the idea of the two of us enough to indirectly ask.

"Oh, Crow, I'm not giving you the answer that would be cheating," Yusei said denying him the truth.

"Fine, play house all you want," Crow said sticking out his tongue before hanging up. Yusei laughed and returned to assembling parts. There were lots of them, but Yusei didn't miss a beat and continued to put it together.

"What are you building?" I asked trying to make sense of the metallic contraption. Most of the parts were still scattered on the floor. He grew weary of my presence and slowed his work pace.

"Right, you came in a few minutes ago," Yusei reminded himself. Then, he looked at the sheet, the parts and back at me.

"Wait upstairs, I'll show you in a few hours," Yusei ordered, madly tinkering with the contraption. I don't believe it. He's kicking me out of the garage until he's done. Fine. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

"All right," I moped a little and trudged upstairs. I watched TV, and somehow, instinctively changed it to my rival's news channel. Angela had that fake smile she wore on air, even as Sherry was in the midst of ripping what looked like Jack's jacket.

"Chaos is reigning in the much anticipated tag duel tournament. Jack Atlas has abandoned his partner leaving her to forfeit the tournament. Could the rumors of a now failed relationship be true? Stay tuned and, " I shut off the TV. Our little chat must have shaken him. Could he be heading here? My heart fluttered at the thought, but there was also the much more likely scenario that he hid himself away nearby to sulk.

I went to the kitchen to help myself to some chow but mostly to take my mind off of Jack who tended to trigger many newly resurfaced memories. As I cooked, I rubbed my neck thoughtfully. The scarf had not attracted attention so far, but should he take the time to realize I never wore one, it could lead to trouble.

I feasted until my belly grew twice its usual size. In a bit of a stupor, I finally lay on the couch. Entering a food-induced comma, I drifted until a gloved hand shook me awake. I sat upright and yawned. I guess I didn't sleep much yesterday with the sleep walking and all.

"Come, it's ready," He commanded, pulling me forward. Unbalanced, I nearly tripped. He caught me reflexively. Out of sorts, I lamely held onto his coat sleeves to keep my balance. I didn't remember feeling so drained this morning. Giving the conundrum some thought, he picked me up. I attempted to pummel him with my tiny fist.

"It's faster," He defended himself. I stopped hitting him. There was the matter of the elaborate lie that had yet to be completely reveal to everyone but scolding him for that could wait. Returning to the previously forbidden area, once again, a sheet covered a clearly bike-shaped object. No, he was trying this again. He set me down walking over to the concealed D-wheel. He pulled off the sheet confidently. The shape remained the same, but there was one key difference that made me love it.

"They are your colors, blue and orange," I marveled. In the process of putting away his tools, he looked up.

"No, I don't think so. I wear a white coat now," He brushed the comment aside casually. There was a large grin on his face though. I smiled, like anything he did was ever a coincidence.

"Do you like it?" He asked carefully, noticeably between me and the bike. I nodded. Come to think of it, anything weapon like either was in his tool box behind him or put away.

"I love my new bike," I replied enthusiastically. Reassured that there would be no repeat incident, he removed himself from my path.

"Would you like to go for a spin?" He asked. I remembered how, but the last time would certainly come to mind. A memory that would be unwise to reflect on while riding.

"Sure," I decided since I owed him for not completely disowning me for the stunt I pulled. Besides, my experience with D-wheels was positive overall, my hair fluttering in the breeze, heart synching to the acceleration of the bike, and someone chasing after me for once, not the other way around. That and he built a master piece twice. The bike itself had luscious curves unscathed by my previous wrath. The controls were intuitive and simple. The seat was comfortable, and my hands reached the handles easily. As I examined my new ride, he sat behind me in what I realized was a two-seater. My check heated at the implication. Shaking away wonton thoughts, I thought over the matter rationally. Our cramped rides back and forth had put the idea in his head to build a more spacious ride, I shouldn't find it so scandalous.

I turned the key and heard the roar of the engine. The vibration of the motor excited me. I teased the ignition, starting and stopping a few times. Finally, I flew out of the open garage. My surroundings changed constantly as I wend faster and faster. Yusei practically had a choke hold on my shoulders.

"Slow down," He demanded as we grew ever closer to a corner. Not till the last second, Kiryu always said. I did just that and succeeded which caused his grip on me to ease. From the corner of my eye, I could see his foot retreating. He had planned to push the brake.

"I've ridden a bike before. Kiryu taught me," I said, hoping that would make him more cooperative. His actions were more likely to make me crash than anything if he kept panicking.

"That explains a lot," Yusei huffed. I smirked and easily navigated the nearby streets. I must say it's faster than my cab. I tempted fate, again and again, popping wheelies, taking short cuts most wouldn't consider short cuts, and narrowly missing walls and at times pedestrians. Hey, they may not have known they weren't in danger, but I did. My shoulders were practically bruised by the end of it. I could tell by Yusei's face when we parked in the garage that crazed driver wasn't half of what he wanted to call me.

"See you're alive," I told him. I only did a couple of the less dangerous tricks Kiryu taught me. It's not like I rode on the edge of the bridge like I wanted.

"Barely," He complained although his worry stemmed mostly from the fact I drove. I had seen him pull off far more reckless moves. My phone rang, I answered seeing Misty's name on the caller id. Now comes the lengthy lecture. Why didn't you tell me you made a new friend? Jack did what? I'll kill him. Don't worry Misty will make it all better. I imagined she would say. She might even stop working for a while. I didn't hear whom I expected.

"Jack?" I mouthed. He called from Misty's phone. She let him know my number, of all the inexplicable nonsensical things to happen. Did she not know? Impossible, she had Kiryu wrapped around her finger, and Yusei definitely told him.

"I'm sorry for what I did. I had no right to make you suffer like that," Jack apologized racked with guilt. I should let him shower me with apologies, but . . .

"I would have remembered sometime," I placated him. He burst the damn, but the cracks were already there. Yusei hovered behind me. The glare he gave the phone let me know he wasn't going anywhere this time.

"Jack, you mean a lot to me. So, I need you to be completely honest about what I'm about to ask," I prompted seriously. There was a muffled struggle heard over the phone. I dared not give up the lingering privacy I had to check what was going on. The sudden quiet made me wondered if the signal was fading.

"Let me have it," Jack conceded. I gripped the phone a little tighter. My impressions of what I went through were clouded. My judgement obscured by simply perceiving it as I once did. So, if I knew he forgave me, I, I might sleep a little easier.

"Am I a monster?" I asked seeking reassurance from my primary victim. The dial tone answered my plea. I sank to the floor. The familiar mechanical must hit my nose. His hand was on my shoulder.

"Carly, what did he say? You might have misunderstood," Yusei attempted to console me. I remained mute as the tears rushed down in abandon.

"Jack isn't good with words," He elaborated clearly picturing a few times where that was the case. I stood up, ready to simply lay down on my bed until Demak said I could return to work.

"He didn't forgive me. He hung up," I offered, slinking away like a wounded animal. Yusei beat me to the door.

"Stop, I don't know what going through Jack's head to act the way he is, but you can't leave. You're not stable right now." Yusei claimed, illustrating his point by pulling off the scarf. I hid the cut with my hands but too little too late. He saw it and had an inkling it was there to begin with.

"I'm treating that, " He stated, rummaging until he found the first aid kit. He pointed to the couch. I sat down obediently. I saw no point in leaving. He'd track me down, and my spirit to try anything had diminished severely. Supplied, he guided me to the bathroom where the wound was washed, and an ointment applied that relieved the sting I had felt since morning. My first stop should have been a hospital, even if the cut was minor. The bandage was applied gently, finishing the process.

"You tell me right away if anything like that happens again," He scolded and guided me to his room. I nodded, embarrassed by his tone. Listen, I know best his tone implied, like an adult talking to a child.

"You lie down. I'll get a few of your things," He urged. Under his watchful eye, I gave in and nestled in the sheets. He observed the myriad of sharp tools lying around his room with anxiety. He confiscated many of them. So that was that, Carly proof the house, and hold her hostage until she seemed sane.

"I've asked Zora to keep an eye on you while I'm gone," Yusei warned me as if to say escape was impossible. My mind focused on the door creaking open and closed every now and then. Jack's rejection stung. The revelations of my dark origins in those missing months were painful. The feelings combined had me shut down. I didn't want to think of right or wrong. I only wanted to stay put indefinetely. The door swung open introducing Yusei holding two bears. Someone kill me now. Piscu you there, need another human shell?

"I didn't know which one you'd want. I also brought you some clothes and personal necessities," He informed me, still waiting for me to pick. One, the original one had spiky blonde locks that no natural bear would ever have, along with a regal white jacket. No one messed with that bear. Making him had been a silly impulse. A cute reminder of the man I cared for deeply. The second one had black spiky hair with highlights. Compared to the first which had survived the arc cradle incident, this bear was pampered, practically new. No repair stitches, expensive glassy blue eyes, and an expression that matched its counter part. Actually, Yusei bear was blessed to be made under my improved sowing skills. He had two outfits. The one he currently wore was a replica of Yusei's blue and orange get up. I'd been known to absently poke the orange bubbles on the tiny coat occasionally. If I stared too hard at the bear, I imagined that he was judging me with those beady eyes. Usually, that had me put him further into the closet. It's a creepy look for a teddy bear to have. As for his creation, it was the temptation to capture a few of Yusei's lovable features which I indulged in, leading to this horrifying scenario. To choose between them, I couldn't. I grabbed both.

"Are there more?" Yusei inquired uncomfortably. I sank further into the sheets. The bears would never betray me. I could make them both matching dark signer outfits and not hear a peep as asinine as the thought was.

"No," I chirped. He pondered the two bears for a moment.

"When did you make this one," He pointed to the clearly newer specimen. No, he wasn't dropping the bear topic.

"Will you stay with me?" I changed the subject. He still seemed fascinated by the two bears existence, but answered.

"Yes, I think you need me," He agreed. The comment wasn't presumptuous. He had seen my overturned apartment. Dressed for bed, he joined me in the sheets just as my phone began to ring. Yusei glanced at the number before shutting it off.

"Who was it?" I yawned in between the two bears while encircled by Yusei's arm.

"No one important," Yusei alleged dismissively.

"Okay," I mumbled, receding into dreamland. After all, Yusei never lied.


	12. War

War

Not a new scratch on me today, the same couldn't be said for Yusei. My previous wild thrashing had him covered with red marks, particularly on his face. He didn't seem to mind as he examined me. Besides my baggy eyes, and messy hair, he saw no trace of bedtime mishaps. Setting down a tray full of breakfast goodies for me, he sat down, seeming to fiddle with my phone. I tried to thank him, but my nonsensical screaming last night had left my throat hoarse. Stuffing my mouth full of pancakes, I swallowed, hearing continual beeps as messages were passed back and forth. Looking at the screen he frowned, I yawned, quietly watching as if the television was on. While I ate toast, he smashed at the keys whilst his face grew stern. Seeking to keep away from his wrath, I tried to subtly wipe away the bread crumbs I left behind. Unexpectedly, he pulled me me close to him and took a picture. Wide eyed and surprised in the photo, he pressed send. Drinking my orange juice, I eyed him wearily. I didn't like being put on candid camera. Another beep, whatever he saw must have been bad because he shut off the phone. Finished, I handed him the tray. The phone wasn't given back to me, but instead placed in his pocket. Leaning back, I wormed into the sheets. There had been little peace between my frantic awakenings and lurid dreams. When he returned, I forced myself to keep alert, and decipher what exactly was going through Yusei Fudo's head, not the easiest task in the world.

"What are you doing with my phone?" I wondered. He had one of his own after all. As he dialed, he sparred me a glance.

"Carly, go back to sleep. I'm making a call to an old friend if you don't mind." Yusei told me as he waited for a response on the other end. I shook my head.

"You have your own phone," I insisted, mainly arguing on principle. It shouldn't matter, but it's my phone. Yusei walked over to me and handed me a phone.

"Here you go," Yusei offered. I was about to stuff it in my pocket when I realized he'd given me his phone. Of all the eccentric quirks he could have had, he was weird about phones.

" Yusei, give me back my phone," I protested while he turned his attention back to the caller.

"Hello director, I need you to do me a favor. Block entry to the city for..." I heard before he left the room. At the mention of the director, I followed him out. The pieces weren't making sense yet, but something was up. Yusei paced back in forth in the living room.

"I know he helped. Look, will you do what I ask?" Yusei interrupted the fretful director. I couldn't decipher the high pitch babbling of the director very well. So much for my detective work, I can ony distinguish a word or two, stuff like noodles, bonds, and friend. Yusei sighed, scratching his head.

"No, I'm not asking you to take sides." Yusei replied in an exasperated tone. I hid behind the couch. The phone buzzed alerting him to an incoming message. Ignoring it, he listened to Jaegar's rant before replying.

"Great, thank you Jaegar. Trust me, it's for the best," Yusei assured him before hanging up. I can't believe what I just heard, keeping someone from the city after Satellite was reintegrated was unheard of.

"Yusei what's going on?" I asked. Startled to suddenly hear my voice, he couldn't find me until he checked behind the couch. He smirked and leaned over to talk to me.

"Oh, there you are. I'm only taking a few precautions, nothing for you to worry about, " Yusei dismissed the question. His phone rang, making his face blanch. Aha, it takes two people to play phone keep away. Let's he how he likes it.

"Don't answer that," He pleaded attempting to pry his phone out of my hand. Maneuvering away, I had a split second before he retrieved his property. I'd have my vengeance for him revoking my phone privileges. I answered which caused Jack's holographic face to scowl right in front of my nose. The raged insults meant for Yusei fell apart when he saw me. Immediately, Jack shouted desperately as if I were deaf.

"Carly, I didn't hang up. Misty tricked me," Jack revealed which caused Yusei to hesitate. His finger hovered over the end call button precariously. Of all the people to blame, you pick her. Oh Jack, you're really pushing me to my limits, making me choose. Unfortunately, Misty has much more credibility than you. She's never hurt me.

"You expect me to believe you over her," I stated flatly. He'd better be very careful about his answer, or I will hang up on him. Attacking Misty after she was nice enough to let him talk to me, Jack should know better. The person I knew took responsibility for his actions.

"Odds are I'll say something wrong if I answer that. So listen, you're no monster, only a girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Outside of Yusei and Crow, you've helped change my life for the better. I've taken you for granted. I'm sorry," Jack spewed out, complete with broad dramatic hand movements. I sat down, overwhelmed by the implications. He had absolved me of blame and apologized for a year of neglect. Yusei removed his hand from the phone, placated enough to let Jack finish talking. Absorbing the new information, I realized that it wasn't enough. I wanted more than that. I wanted tangible evidence this would lead to a new beginning if I wished.

"What are you going to do about it?" I demanded. They both directed their attention to me at a loss. Yes, Carly wants to take advantage of the situation for all it's worth. I deserved an answer. I've rooted for him, loved him, and I can't keep feeling like I have a stronger relationship with my television than him. Jack recovered first, and considered the question.

"I'll come and meet you," Jack responded finally. Excited, my hands shook, and I pressed the phone close to my face so his screen was likely only projecting my eye. I licked my lips and had trouble remembering how to breathe. I had wanted him to come back for so long.

"Really? What about the tournament?" I pressed, not wanting to get my hopes up. Jack had a bittersweet smile on his face.

"Have you not seen the news lately? I quit. I'm only interested in seeing you right now," Jack insisted which left me speechless. He'd made it clear from the moment he left that tournaments and titles were what mattered to him. If I'd still remembered my dark signer days at the time, I would have strangled him and shouted: have you learned nothing? Be loved for who you are, not for your tracksuit, your bike, and flawless record, I wanted more for you. Still, all signs pointed to Jack reforming, and I yearned to take the bait. Take the chance that we weren't heading down a road where he'd leave me stranded again. A hand grabbed my own, shaking my concentration, I looked up at Yusei who stared at me intently, wanting me to answer an unspoken question. For a minute, I tuned Jack out and found myself being drawn in as our fingers intertwined. Then, there was another path I'd viewed from afar for sometime, clean, safe, and untraveled. Yusei by all accounts and observations was a man parent's loved and people trusted. As I'd begun to suffocate from the terrors of my untimely and havoc inducing death, I'd been pulled closer and closer. I'd thrived in the past two weeks. My old friends had come back to me. I had a better job doing what I always did. Only after Jack return to my life did I fall off course. The consequences of Jack's two calls must have weighed heavily on Yusei's mind. He stroked the bandage around my neck. Yusei always made time for everyone. Jack had proclaimed his love and left me with only brief memories of our time together. The temptation to run after him was strong, and it had always been strong. Chasing after him and picturing myself with him had made no sense, two weeks of mess with an ungrateful brat should have made me glad Mikage took him on some mission. But it didn't, I understood him. The urge to be better and stronger for everyone's sake. The loneliness he faced wasn't so different from my own. And yet, Yusei had become a fixture in my life that I was unwilling to let go of. Withdrawing his hand from my wound, he leaned in. I froze, almost wishing that I could have a time out to call Misty. However, if what Jack said was true, don't chose Jack would likely be her answer.

Inching closer, I almost met his lips before I inexplicably changed my mind and planned to withdraw. Jack was waiting for me. Yusei closed the gap. A rush filled me as he firmly pressed his lips against mine. Stiff from surprise, I had trouble remembering what to do. I'd seen it done in plenty of movies. My lips tingled from a sensation never felt before. My lips almost parted, ready to surrender to the intruder. I would have gone further I think had I not heard the dial tone. After a year of waiting, Yusei hung up on Jack. I roughly pushed him away in disappointment. Fickle, fickle Carly, you've done it again. So close and at the last second, a random variable destroyed my chances completely. Carly, I have to go face the dark signers. Stay here. Carly, no you're evil. Carly, you forgot your memory so let me not say a word until I get angry and spill. Carly, you kissed Yusei. We're done. Why can't things line up like they're supposed to?

Yusei began to retreat, sensing that he'd made a mistake. Face flushed, he rubbed his neck. For a while, he couldn't help but smile. I'd done a little research on him. I'd seen his father as bright eyed and youthful as he was now. The way he fidgeted and avoided looking me directly in the eye was cute. Had he ever kissed anyone? Aki, maybe but I could have well been the first, and I'd gone an rejected him. Smoothing into his usual aloof expression, he faced me awkwardly. In resignation, he retrieved his phone and returned mine.

"His number is still there," Yusei suggested as he went down to the garage. He'd probably bury himself in some project. Jack thinks I'm with him, and Yusei walked away from me like a kicked puppy. I may have killed our friendship and sealed it with a kiss. Just as I planned to confront him, my phone rang. Of course when I actually don't want calls, I get them.

"Hello Carly, I'm coming to visit," Misty announced happily. Well, any chance to meet up with Jack was gone but at least there was a silver lining. Misty never stopped working unless she was taking a break or there was an emergency. I guess the way things were going it was probably the latter. I hung in there and plastered a fake smile on my face.

"That's great Misty," I said with mustered enthusiasm. Reading my face, Misty narrowed her eyes. My fortune must be awful.

"It's Jack isn't it? I'll kill him," Misty declared. Her thoughts probably already shifting to where she kept her hand gun. I waved my hands in protest. No guns.

"Okay, okay, you caught me at a bad time. I just hurt two people I love, and I don't know what to do," I confessed, and Misty's face softened. She gave me an air pat over the phone.

"Well, talk about it when I get there, okay. I want to be able to hold you ," She claimed before pursing her lips.

"You're not feeling bad over anything else right?" Misty inquired, and I thought of Jack's claim. I hesitated since I did not want more people upset with me. Still, for the full story, I should hear both sides.

"Actually, there is something that's bothering me. Did you sabotage Jack?" I asked. Most of the time, Misty talked more than she acted. She put her hand on her forehead in dismay.

"Yes, he's no good for you. When I heard what he did, I wanted to murder him. I happen to see him during one of my shoots. Luckily, the perfect opportunity to destroy him presented itself. I'm honestly only sorry for what it did to you. I screwed up Carly. I had not idea that your situation had gotten that bad." Misty apologized and pointed to my bandage.

"It's a tiny cut," I mumbled, placing my hand there to hide the area. Misty shook her head.

"You're hurting in many ways, Carly. I can see it on your face," She claimed which brought memories of our first meeting to mind. At least, I wasn't dying. I shrugged, and Misty raised an eyebrow.

" Yet, underneath, I see potential," Misty foretold vaguely. Her eyes fluttered close for a second. What potential? I burn every bridge I make. No wonder the most I can handle were once a week friends.

"I see. We definitely should talk about this in person. Goodbye Carly, I'll see you soon. Say hi to Yusei for me," She added slyly. My cheeks burned, and I rubbed them to reduce the color. Whether Kiryu had blabbed or she guessed on her own, I had no idea. The embarrassment of Misty of all people suggesting it, made me flustered. Calming down, I took a trip down to the garage. No sound came from below. Right, work was happy time for him. So, what does he do when he's sad? Yusei simply sat on his bike observing the empty garage. Was he thinking of them? I came closer which alerted him to my presence.

"I didn't handle that well," I started to say, but Yusei embraced me tightly. Forgiveness begins with a hug. When I gazed into his downcast eyes, I figured that he sought to apologize. For what, trying to phase out a person completely from my life? Sometimes that's Misty's whole weekend. He buried his face on my shoulder. Yusei, I'm sorry for what I put you through. Did you even ever meet up with that friend of yours? I've taken your nights away. You haven't slept properly in days, and I've scratched your pretty face.

"Forget it, you're my friend. I shouldn't be making decisions for you. I didn't for the others,' He mentioned as if he was missing some vital difference that wasn't apparent like a complex equation which wasn't completely written out. I understood that my predicament might have pushed him to act irrationally. So, I nodded in acceptance. Always, there had been a blurred line that tip toed between us being unexpected friends and possibly more. The instances of almost happened coupled with exclamations of how sweet, and the understated, don't mention it. When the line had finally been crossed, I erased the line and desecrated its remains. Here I find out that the entire dance had been in my head.

"So, you were only worried about me?" I inquired as my decision hung tentatively in the balance. Yusei released his hold and did not look directly at me. Projecting that typical savior air, he turned his back on me.

"Yes, I panicked. From what I saw, Jack triggers your unresolved issues. I didn't want you to get worse," Yusei reasoned as he trudged back upstairs without a second thought. The kiss had been a strategy designed to thwart Jack: rough, deliberate, and planned. Then, there wasn't really a choice b. My idiocy knows no bounds. I see things that weren't really there. I should buy a thicker lens if they make it.

"I guess I'll get to deal with them soon," I proposed with a nervous laugh. No answer. I followed him because I wasn't planning to leave while my nightmares were still running a muck, even if the prospect seemed less appealing now. My stay here wouldn't lead to anything past recovery. He'd be a sleeping buddy, nothing more and nothing less. I tripped on the staircase, but he wasn't there to catch me. He helped me up absently. I stayed on that step. He cared, fixed, and honored the warranty if anything broke, but the second there wasn't a problem. He'd move on to the next broken piece. I watched as he climbed further and further up the stairs and out of view. Making my way up, my mind traveled to that brief second I let myself believe in that particular possibility. Nothing more to imagine, there was only misunderstandings and complications to deal with. That's what I get for being a reporter. One day you have to get all your facts straight.

**I drew a picture based on this story. The link is on my page if you'd like to check it out. This comes late because the three day weekend was hectic. I did my best to deliver this to you. Enjoy.**


	13. Admissions

Admissions

Smacking right onto the floor head first, I jerked awake right before the good part if you could call it that. Dreaming of an earthly hell probably wasn't most people's idea of fun. I myself retained immense guilt for even thinking such things. As always, Jack triggered those times as a dark signer when I felt joy and love. Not that I believed my dreams held any value, he wasn't coming. No matter what he said, he'd have to knock on my front door before I believed it. Yusei had rushed to my aid as best he could. He'd begun to dose off after I'd quit tossing and turning. I didn't want to bother him. So, I told him I'd go home. I don't know why I said that, but what he'd told me the day before and how he acted after had me convinced that I shouldn't stay here.

"Carly, it's okay. You fell. You are home," Yusei insisted navigating me back to the bed. That's funny. Didn't you spend a good week making my apartment inhabitable? Now, here I am with you because you're scared to let me go back by myself. I shook my head and tried to leave. He blocked me and somehow managed to stuff my two teddy bears into my arms. I hit him with Yusei bear.

"I've outstayed my welcome. Besides, I've gotten better," I argued without looking at him. Better that I leave and forget my feelings, the last time I pursued them hadn't ended well. He wanted to be my friend and trying to protect me was pushing him to act differently.

"Don't' go. If its space you want I'll sleep in another room," Yusei offered trying to negotiate so I could stay under his supervision. Right because that will change the fact that I'm in your place sleeping in your bed. You leaving wouldn't change the mechanical aroma, the books on metaphysics on the shelf or the neatly stacked plans in the corner. I'd still think about you.

"That's not it. You're my friend right?" I asked him which seemed to puzzle him. Friendship was like breathing to him, natural and involuntary.

"Of course, Carly after everything we've been through in the last couple of weeks, I'm surprised you had to ask," Yusei marveled, strategically easing me into the sheets. I played along. Fighting my way out of here wouldn't work. I had to defeat him with logic.

"Then, you realize why I can't keep relying on you. You're not my doctor, my therapist, or my . . . I can't think of anything else," I faltered, no need to add more than that. Yusei sighed and chose to lay next to me.

"You have a point. Except, I've learned enough from Doctor Schmidt to perform basic medical procedures. Several people have shoved honorary doctorates in my face, so I am technically a doctor, and you're much safer with me than anyone else," Yusei replied in a finite manner. I crashed into the pillow, stupid doctor, tangling me in your insidious web.

"I didn't mean you weren't qualified exactly. You kinda gave me the cold shoulder after Jack's call yesterday. I figured you didn't want me around anymore," I backtracked and attempted to turn the tide in my favor. Yusei smirked, amused by what I said for unknown reasons.

" What was I supposed to say, pick me? I want you to be happy, Carly. That and I received an unexpected call which had my mind elsewhere," Yusei explained evenly. As he spoke, he had indeed drifted somewhere out of my reach. I snapped my fingers to get his attention.

"Hmm, sorry, I was thinking," He apologized, before realizing that I had accidentally handed him victory. Why, did I have to seek his attention now of all times? I could have escaped.

"You want to stay. Don't you?" He prompted as he moved closer to me. He grabbed my wrist tentatively. He'd begun to perfect a method to best keep me restrained at night. At the moment, his hands hung loosely allowing for an easy retreat. I need only say the words and I'd be free.

"Yes. Is that bad?" I admitted as I pictured myself on the cover of a magazine called Hopeless Romantic. I'm fairly sure that I indulging in sleep overs wouldn't help my chronic love affliction. Sort of, it's more like I see the best in everyone, and I can't picture how it is and how it could be. And for the second time, I didn't dislike the picture if only he'd like it too.

"No, not at all, it's late. Your body doesn't want to move," Yusei assured me as I fell under the influence of said body which was sore from my previous fall. I could feel gravity push down my eyelids until they felt as heavy as led. I wanted to talk a little longer but my brain shut down.

My head throbbed incessantly as if mourning the couple brains cells I'd lost yesterday. I shuffled downstairs, one step after another. I raised my foot again only to find myself on the ground. There was a knock, and Yusei left his newspaper to answer. I sat down on the sofa, relishing in how comfortable its old age had made it. Had I not know better, I would think it was trying to eat me for how sunk into the fabric.

"So, you did come," Yusei remarked as he cracked open the door and spotted Jack. He stood prominently as regal and tall as I remembered him. Taller actually, I usually pictured him about tv size. Further away, the Wheel of Fortune could be seen being ogled by passerby.

"I said I would," Jack claimed tartly. From the half I could see, his entire being was encompassed by a layer of irritation. Yusei remained civil, and yet, I could see his body was positioned to keep a good grip on the door.

"It's hard to tell when you'll actually follow through with something these days. How's Sherry?" Yusei inquired politely. Jack twitched and the word she devil might as well have been stamped on his forehead. My how the heat thickened and spread the longer they stood next to each other, like two masses not meant to be in the same space.

"They stopped me outside the city. Was that your doing?" He accused, hovering above Yusei's head. I remembered the call, and the inevitable feeling of being mislead overtook me. He followed through with the plan.

"Consider it Karma," Yusei remarked as he tapped his mark. I prepared to march on over and yell at him. Such a reserved man and yet a mastermind at heart, it took him four years but he finally accomplished his petty vendetta at my expense. There would be comeuppances.

"You know I had very little to do with that" Jack retaliated curtly. The tension quadrupled, almost like electricity running between them, and I was the lightning rod.

"That's the thing. You don't realize that every action you take has indirect consequences." Yusei retorted, and as I neared, I could see that his words were having an affect on Jack. Yusei's scorn troubled him as a barely visible frown marred his hardened face, but all it did was make Jack tune out. I'd seen the same thing happen when Crow nagged him. Once I was in view, Jack focused his energies on reaching me, but Yusei would not move.

"Let me in, Yusei. I didn't come for your lectures. I came to see Carly." Jack demanded as he yanked on the door. It didn't budge which mildly impressed me, considering Jack's strength. I guess they both were from Satellite after all, and therefore had mass upper body strength built up. I nudged Yusei in an effort to have him cease and desist. Yusei signaled for me to sit back down.

"I want to see him," I whispered. Yusei nodded undeterred. I waited a long time for Jack to show interest in me outside my deathbed, dammit. I proceeded to push him so Jack could get in, but he retained his center of balance.

"You're not ready. You trust me don't you?" Yusei countered which was the sort of halt you in your tracks question that I had wanted to remember last night. My body was pumped full of adrenaline. Every part of me wanted to slip through the narrow slot and jump into Jack's arms. Here was a chance to have my affections requited. Then again, Yusei must have a reason. He'd been so supportive before. Now, he played the part of a steel wall, unwilling to back down. His features unforgiving and angular, he treated Jack like an enemy. The expression unsettled Jack. He didn't like any of this one bit. Sparing Jack one more glance, like a little girl would to a puppy she couldn't adopt, I listened. Jack eyes widened in horror. Nothing occurred as he expected. If that wasn't enough to give him the wrong idea at this point, Yusei actively tried to latch the door.

"Leave my property," Yusei advised which had Jack lessen his attacks on the door in disbelief. He'd lived there, same as Yusei and Crow. What a slap in the face to be unable to visit, I imagined. Worse than that, maybe, he'd come for me, only to see me abandon him when Yusei asked me to. I held firm to the belief that my friend knew what he was doing.

"Your property?" Jack barked as his hands clenched into fists. I gulped, worried a fight might break out. Yusei understood why Jack took offense, but didn't retract the statement.

"Zora signed over the deed to me awhile ago. She lives nearby with her son," Yusei elaborated, and both stayed quiet for a moment in tribute to an era long past. When both of their destinies ran linear to each other, and they weren't on opposing sides.

"I don't understand why you're doing this, even with what I saw yesterday," Jack objected, looking at both of us in confusion. Yusei and I had always been separate in Jack mind. Now, the lines were blurring into a horrible mess as far as Jack was concerned.

"Jack, she's a nice girl who now has to deal with not only the memory of her death but everything she did afterwards. All because you couldn't keep her mouth shut," Yusei surmised with unbidden hostility. I fought the instinct to defend Jack as I'd been prone to do when Crow yelled at him. Better to let the lions tear at each other instead of me, I didn't agree with everything Yusei said, but taking sides now would only make things worse.

"I made a mistake," Jack alleged, and his tone was softer. He stared at me as he did so and his hands unclenched. Yusei showed no mercy or sympathy remaining as resolute as stone although it was clear that Jack had given up on opening the door.

"You've made a lot of mistakes," Yusei reminded him. Jack stepped back as if he'd been struck. Yusei didn't scold. Yusei remained objective. Yusei never blamed Jack. Everything he knew about Yusei shattered in that moment.

"Yusei, you have no right to do this. You don't know this girl. A month ago, you weren't aware of her existence," Jack challenged in frustration. He tried to trip Yusei in vain, but he had lit a fuse. He easily threw Jack to the ground. The impulse to yell stop grew. Too late, Jack stared at the ground seeming to have lost the motivation to get up. Yusei walked over to him and crouched down.

"I have every right because Carly needs my help. Jack, a person like her can't deal with what's she's done, not directly. Make one wrong move and you'll destroy her," Yusei warned him. Jack nodded as he staggered into a standing position. He reclaimed his helmet, cracked from its fall as it clattered to the ground. I watched as he blindly made his way to his bike. Once inside, it teetered dangerously close to falling on its side until remarkably he composed himself and took off. Delicate, breakable enough to shatter like glass, the reporter who constantly took on odds no sane man or woman would ever take. No wonder I attract so many caretakers, my jumbled mess of memories had me out of sorts, not to mention, how my heart had no real suitor. An empty feeling overtook me when Jack left. How I longed to follow him, defy Yusei, and reach a perfect ending. At the same time, I didn't object when Yusei put his arm around me and led me inside. I placed my head on his shoulder. I'd go insane if I didn't say something. One thing that I miss from my dark signer days was how direct I was.

"Yusei, do you like living alone?" I prompted which had Yusei turn to me curiously.

"I'm used to having people around, but I've adjusted," Yusei asserted as we sat on the couch. I digested the information and took his hand. Again no resistance, I stared at our hand holding suspiciously. He's so hard to read. How can I possibly gage what applies as normal friendly interaction or breaching personal space?

"Then, you're glad I'm here," I stated, seeking confirmation. Yusei revealed a tiny smile.

"Yes, it's been nice having someone around," He affirmed while I slipped my leg under his. His leg lurched a little, and Yusei wasn't sure what to make of it. So, he ignored it. Carefully, I wrapped my arms around him.

"So, Yusei when do you think I'll be ready to face Jack? You're my honorary doctor, " I pressed, testing him. His other hand gathered around my torso making me the uncomfortable one. Maybe, he was thinking that way, and I'd been taunting the bear with honey.

"When you stop having nightmares, Jack's name comes up a lot when you sleep," He replied, and the warmth produced from our closeness became stifling.

"He does," I mumbled since the idea that I might talk in my sleep never crossed my mind. Yusei nodded without showing any signs that he judged me accordingly. I must have said something last night that changed his mind on not interfering. Now for the big question, dark signer Carly would have just stuck her tongue down his throat and seen how he reacted. I took a different approach.

"Do you like me?" I inquired while literally attached to him. I hadn't planned well if he did reject me. There would be an awkward pause while we released each other.

"Yes, I don't beat up Jack for just anybody," He acknowledged which was nice but . . . I'd asked the wrong question.

"I mean, really like me," I insisted knowing my chances of failure were high. The implications were clear, and Yusei's face revealed nothing. The silence continued indefinitely. Neither of us had removed our hold on the other, I, actually, held him tighter. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. The phone rang, and I threw it. No, I was sick of being patient. Unharmed, the phone continued to ring to the tune of a pop song. Catchy as it was, I glared at it. I knew it was rash and wrong, but the phone hadn't been kind to me. Yusei removed himself from me, patting my head apologetically.

"I need to take that. It's Aki. She reached a decision on what she's going to do after her schooling is done. I'm a part of that," Yusei clarified as he grabbed the phone from the floor, not bothering to look at me. The silent rejection stung. Taking advice from a specter who had used a death god to get her way was stupid, I'd thrown a temper tantrum, and his sweetheart hadn't left him at all.

"Can you go upstairs? I want to talk with her alone. The holographic feature doesn't leave a lot of room for privacy," He pleaded nervously. He had said I was home. But the moment Aki called, I was knocked down to houseguest. I stood, holding my arm around where Aslla Piscu's mark had once been.

"Okay," I complied, and my answer was hollow and ghostly. I began to trudge upstairs. When he added to the already horrible experience, I heard words that really could have been said much later, at least so I'd have time in between disappointments.

"When you are better, you'll be moving out," He announced reluctantly. I climbed up faster. With Aki a viable prospect again, he set boundaries. Never mind the last two weeks. He had invested much more time and effort on Aki.

"Okay," I choked out. It was the only word I could form. I ran into his room that I was likely no longer welcomed in. So, I took my bears and other things, and moved to Jack's room. There wasn't much left, only a bed and furniture, nothing that outright told me it was his room. I got on the bed and placed the two bears down. Yusei bear stared at me in that way that said talk to me. I tossed him in a drawer.

I couldn't fathom what to do. The sun shined overhead, telling me sleep wasn't an option. The room was empty of baubles or knick knacks. I didn't feel like going outside. My phone beeped, and I resisted the urge to throw it. I checked the brief text message.

Almost there, Love Misty.

**I edited the last chapter severely. It's much better now. I rushed to have it posted, and it showed. I seemed to have lost my regulars. It could be school or lack of time, I know. Part of me thinks, I might be I lost my touch. Oh well, next chapter should be Misty heavy with several mentions of Aki. Depending on how much I add to the next chapter, it could be awhile, until next time. **


	14. Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation

Fortune Fairy Ann. Fortune Fairy Ann. Fortune Fairy Ann. Your fortune the day you draw this card is unhappy. I've been drawing this card without fail in the last hour, no matter how many times I shuffle. I heard a faint knock, and I was not sure who to expect. I want Yusei to come in, but he hadn't torn himself away from Aki since I came up here. Misty walked through, and I tried not to show my disappointment. She's my confidant, my savior, and forever giving me money, even when I insist I don't need it. That said, I had little energy to pretend everything was fine. I had gambled and lost, twice. No Jack. No Yusei. Aki wasn't letting go, and I'd let Yusei toss Jack to the curb. Misty shook her head when she caught sight of me huddled in the corner, holding Jack bear.

"What happened?" She asked before joining me. I sighed and decided to spill if I didn't Misty would jump to her own conclusions.

"I told Yusei I loved him, and he chose Aki because she's coming back eventually," I said, wishing that I hadn't. Now, I was trapped here indefinitely while Yusei avoided me.

" Wait. Aki told me that she planned to stay in Germany," Misty stated in mild confusion. I hadn't seen it coming either. She must have been serious to tell Yusei that in the first place. So, what changed?

"Aki loves Germany. For her, it's a place with no bad memories, a fresh start. This doesn't make any sense," Misty added, and I shrugged. All I knew was Yusei had made his choice, and my situation was growing worse and worse. Unwanted and stuck in Yusei's home because of my condition, I couldn't even go to Jack without risking my health.

"I don't know or care anymore. My life was so much simpler before this whole dark signer mess. Everything got complicated when Yusei lied about us being together, and I started living here," I blubbered on, producing tear after tear in frustration while Misty held me. She narrowed her eyes as she registered the new information.

"So, did Aki know it was a lie?" She asked. I widened my eyes as it clicked. Crow had kept nagging Yusei to, but as far as I knew, he hadn't and with me living here . . .

"She found out," I realized. Misty nodded and remained dignified while seeming to want to remove the lingering distaste the knowledge provided. All was silent, Misty made no move to go on the warpath or urge me to forget this flight of fancy. Perhaps, I was naive to think Misty would help me. She tilted my head forward in a manner oddly reminiscent of our first encounter.

"So, will you fight for Yusei?" She asked me. I stood abruptly. No way, I could that. He . . . he doesn't want me anyway.

"I can't," I said with a frown. We weren't in some mystical battle. Aki wasn't really a witch who had entranced the king. I couldn't interfere.

"Yes, you can Carly. Surely, by now, you can see the truth," Misty said as she stood to face me.

"What truth?" I mumbled, thinking I had learned enough of my abysmal past for a lifetime. I couldn't believe there was more.

"Carly, I'm cold hearted and manipulative," Misty claimed which caught my attention. She wouldn't have come down here if she didn't care.

"No, you're not," I argued wondering what had come over her.

"Yes I am, and Kiryu's vengeful and irrational," Misty continued, and I didn't understand.

"I don't think you should," I advised although his past outrage on my behalf came to mind as well as his midnight trips into my apartment.

"Demak's possessive and destructive," She said, marking the third dark signer's flaws she'd named. I braced myself for when my name came up.

"He changed," I defended my new boss who had already given me considerable time off. He wasn't chasing little girls anymore. Misty wasn't plotting to take off Aki's head at the first sign of trouble. Kiryu, at least, seemed to be getting along well with Yusei. It couldn't be true.

"No, he didn't. None of us did," Misty insisted holding onto my shoulders for emphasis. No, I wasn't the same as before, and for her to imply that nothing changed, it scared me.

"I'm not anything like my dark signer self," I said in denial. That other girl would have found a way to reach Jack. That other girl wouldn't have taken kindly to Yusei's rejections. If we were one in the same, I should have her strengths too, and I don't, whatever confidence I had before was strictly Incan god induced.

"Yes, you are. By varying degrees, we were simply acting on our darker inclinations," Misty stated as I continued to shake my head.

"You couldn't accept this and forgot your time as Aslla Piscu's servant in an effort to avoid the darkest part of your nature, "She explained softly.

"After what almost happened to Kiryu, I didn't want risk reminding you," Misty said as she fixated on Jack bear.

"Too bad, I was threatening the wrong people," She said dryly. I smiled, but it flickered as I considered what I had done.

"What, deep down I want to rule the world?" I asked in faux enthusiasm.

"No, Carly that part was all Piscu, pay attention. When you care about someone, you naturally want all their attention and love. You'll fight to keep it. A rather sweet flaw, I think." She relayed, and I suppose I did know that my time as a dark signer had all been for Jack. Even if that instinct was buried deep inside me, I couldn't in good conscience act on it with Yusei.

"I shouldn't force my love on anyone. I'm not that girl who recklessly did whatever she could to be with Jack. Yusei's happy with Aki," I stated as I grew weary of the conversation, following in the steps of my darker counter part had done me no good.

"And, you don't think he'll be happy with you?" Misty asked, quickly tying my tongue in what ifs, how easy it would be to slip into some fantasy right now. The question stung as the picture formed easily in my mind, only to be flung away by a whip.

"He ignored me when I told him how I felt," I attempted to make the matter drop. The conversation had little importance if he wasn't interested. Misty crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow.

"He didn't say no," Misty pointed out, and I groaned. By her definition, I should keep trying until I get a restraining order.

"That's no reason to march into battle," I replied, beyond trying to gain any man's affections. What does it matter how I feel? I was always everyone's second choice. Jack pursued fame, and even before that, I had to compete with the other girls for his attention. Yusei had stuck by me until Aki promised him a future with her. Now, I'm being systematically wiped out of his home like a particularly nasty virus.

"Carly, you can never win if you don't fight. Accept yourself fully, and you have a chance at happiness. With whoever you choose, I, sincerely, hope you'll pick someone worthy of you," Misty said, unable to hide a grimace when she saw I had kept my grip on my bear. Fight, an action so foreign to my usual instincts, I hadn't even considered it. When Jack tossed me to the curb, I waited. When Yusei asked me to leave, I listened. Compared to the effort I put into getting scoops, my attempts to win them over had been feeble at best. I can do so much more than stand in the sidelines and let everyone walk away from me.

"I can't say that I never thought about chasing Jack down in Europe, or that I was glad that Yusei sent me away. Maybe, you're right. I have been avoiding conflict," I admitted, putting Jack bear down. Enough lying in bed and dreaming, I want something real.

"Then, it's time," Misty announced.

"For what?" I prompted her as I found myself plotting and scheming. No, there was no voice to tell me what to do, but I did have impulses. I could walk down stairs and kiss Yusei out of the blue, just as he had done to me, and watch Aki's horrified face as I hung up on her. I had the perfect excuse too. The thing was that I could follow through, and try to wrench Yusei from her grasp, but what if I actually wanted Jack.

"For me to work my magic of course, by the time I'm done, people will mistake you for a goddess," Misty vowed as she planned to use her expertise to give me an advantage.

"Oh, Misty, I don't think that's really necessary," I said as we zoomed by. Once we reached the bathroom, Misty presented her portable makeup kit.

"Trust me, it will add to the dramatic effect," Misty assured me, already picking out the proper foundation.

"Okay, but," I trailed off. She wouldn't like what I wanted to do, but there was no way around it. Jack had taken root in my heart for a number of years whether Misty approved or not.

"Yes Carly?" Misty replied while she handed me the contacts. Yes, I think I should wear them. No matter how vulnerable I feel, he should see every emotion that passes through my face.

" I'm going to duel Jack. It's the only way to know what I truly want and" I stopped short so I could dig around in my satchel.

"And?" Misty pressed as she took a peek at what I was doing.

"I'm using these," I told her, and she recognized the cards instantly.

"I'm so proud of you. I wondered what happened to them," Misty said, and I could see she thought they'd been destroyed.

"I'm also wearing this," I revealed my old outfit causing Misty to laugh uncontrollably. I fingered the black ensemble speculatively. It wasn't a good idea, then?

"You want to give him a heart attack don't you?" Misty accused which made me realize that the laughter was never directed at me.

"No, I just think it's appropriate to begin or end the same way we started," I explained. The stunt would rile Jack, but I can say beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the climax of our relationship. To move beyond that, I needed a do over. Take away the elements of death, guilt and obligation, was our love something worth saving?

"I see. Then, I think you should invite Yusei," Misty suggested, and I stuffed the outfit back into my bag. Let Yusei see me in full on dark signer mode? I was barely comfortable dueling with talking cards, not that they'd said anything that was particularly creepy.

"Why? He has nothing to do with this," I asked. Although at this point, he was very much involved. My self-appointed protector since the day I mentioned Demak, the results had accumulated into responses like Jack bad, Aki good, and Carly go to your room.

" A duel reveals a lot about people, he will want to come, and with any luck, he'll see where you stand when you do," Misty answered, and I didn't doubt that he'd want to see the duel.

"I'll ask him then," I promised, ready to run in and invite him, despite having yet to arrange the game with Jack.

" Later, this is our time," Misty ordered and pulled me down on the chair. I had a feeling that it would take hours, and the effects would be so subtle that an average man wouldn't notice. Jack wasn't an average man, but the black and orange outfit, that I once wore when we were sworn enemies,was much more likely to dominate his attention.

"Yes Misty," I responded obediently.

"Don't worry. I'll have you out of here in fifteen minutes," She promised, sorting through her weapons of choice. Occasionally, her fingers would lightly touch my chin and position me accordingly.

"There's going to be a party tomorrow. Aki and Yusei are invited," Misty informed me with a smile.

"Will you be covering it?" She remarked casually, but I understood the underlying message clearly. Aki will be here soon. If you want to face her, you can come.

"Maybe, I might be too tired from dueling Jack," I replied in return. She frowned at the insinuation. I might stay with Jack so don't expect me.

"Done," Misty said, proceeding to clean up. I ignored the urge to touch my face which was made all the harder because I couldn't.

"Thank you," I answered, and she dismissed my gratitude with a wave. Taking out the phone, I surfed through my contacts. I called him, almost pressing Demak's number in my haste. The wait for Jack to answer was surprisingly short.

"Carly? I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me," Jack said. His eyes darted around the room likely checking for any further interference from Yusei. Tcht, Aki probably hasn't even hung up yet.

"Will you do me a favor?" I said. The weight of the encounter almost too much to bear, I hadn't even really dueled since the last time.

"Anything," He said. Oh, how easy it would be to abuse that answer. Too bad, I was on a mission.

"Duel me," I told him. Dueling was not the first favor that Jack had in mind when I asked. He gaped at me in astonishment.

"Is that all?" Jack wondered.

"Yup," I said. He didn't know what all was at stake. If he did, he wouldn't see it as such a trivial matter.

"Where?"He asked. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Yusei was coming, and if he could get the director to kick Jack out of the city, I bet he could pull other strings.

"The stadium," I said.

"Okay, I'll meet you there," Jack said. I sank to the floor when he hung up. I wasn't ready. Misty eased me from the floor.

"I know it's hard, but you can't hesitate. Get ready," She ordered and handed me my things. Dressed, polished, and looking like a blast from the past, I went downstairs. Yusei was hunched over a few schematics. Good, he's not on the phone anymore.

"Yusei," I said experimentally. He glanced at me and went back to his work until what he saw fully registered. He turned around.

"Carly," Yusei said. I waited, but his vocabulary failed him.

"I'm dueling in a few minutes. Do you want to come?" I asked. He nodded and stood.

"Can you secure the stadium?" I added, and he proceeded to fumble around for his phone. The time it took to make the call wasn't too long, but to me, it looked liked he was going in slow motion.

"Director, I need the duel arena cleared," He said, and there were breaks in his speech pattern as if he had trouble remembering how to speak.

"It's done," Yusei said. I traveled to the garage to get my d-wheeler. I wouldn't be using it to duel, but it would get me there. I was risking a relapse by doing this. The less armed I was the better. Yusei planned to sit behind me, but I stopped him.

"Ride on your own d-wheel, I might not be coming back after this," I explained. He scrambled out of the back seat.

"Carly, you're not ready to be on your own. The nightmares haven't gone away," Yusei said as he regained his senses.

"I won't be. Besides, you wanted me out of the house anyway,"I replied curtly. Yusei couldn't deny it. At least, he didn't try to.

"Who are you facing?"He changed the subject quickly.

"Jack," I said right as I hit the gas. He caught up to me easily. I hadn't seen his reaction originally, but he wasn't looking to happy now.

"I think you're making a mistake," Yusei stated, and I rolled my eyes.

"I think you are too," I said, making a sharp turn. He had been preoccupied speaking to me and couldn't maneuver in time to follow. I didn't see him as I drove and assumed that I would have no spectators. He cut in front of me, arriving from some narrow street.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Yusei demanded.

"You'll have to figure that out on your own," I said, losing my nerve. The stadium was in sight so I accelerated past the recommended speed limit. Jack waited strategically by one of the entrances. He had guessed right. Good old Jack had a cup of coffee in his hand. He let the cup shatter when he caught sight of me.

"You didn't," He said. I took of my helmet, and faced him.

"I did," I said, and my exposed eyes further flabbergasted him. Jack turned around.

"I changed my mind. We are not doing this," Jack said.

"You owe me," I said, poking his chest with my finger. He unwittingly took a few steps back.

"I, Carly, am in my right mind," I insisted, and both Yusei and Jack frowned. No one gives me the benefit of the doubt. Great.

"Jack this is a test. I loved you. I believed in you. Your actions in the last few years have me second guessing myself. I'm sad that the time I felt most loved by you was when I was dying in your arms," I said, and already, I feel my eyes watering. I have no self control at all. Jack embraced me.

"I'll prove it then," Jack vowed. It triggered memories of the last time we held each other. My knees wobbled and my vision blurred for a second. When I recovered, I found myself checking for Yusei's reaction. He avoided spying on our reunion, examining the stray pieces of litter in the stadium. For an instant, he did meet my eyes and smiled. The underlying intent was clear. I'm rooting for you. Upon releasing me, Jack glared at Yusei.

"He came to watch," I explained. Jack relaxed and walked to the opposite end of the arena.

"No problem, it's not like there is a lack of seats," Jack said. Yusei sat on my side of the stadium and took out a coin.

"Heads or tails," Yusei asked.

"Tails," I said while shuffling my deck. This was it girls, all or nothing. Don't let me down. I received unintelligible whispers and giggles in response.

"Carly goes first," Yusei announced. Jack waved his hand.

"After you," He said. I drew and examined my hand.

"I play Future Visions and summon Fortune Lady Lighty," I said as the field changed into a vast expanse of colorful space and sparkling stars. Lighty twirled her staff and blew Jack a kiss before disappearing in a flash. Jack's face blanched at the unfamiliar field card and very familiar monster.

"Due to Future Visions, I remove Lighty from the field activating her effect. I can now special summon a Fortune Lady of my choice. I choose Fortune Lady Earthy," I said while Earthy appeared in a poof.

" I'll put two cards face down and end my turn," I said.

"Carly, you shouldn't use those cards. Just look at what you're doing, is this really the way to start over?" Jack said.

"Jack, I am. If you hate them, you are rejecting a part of me that was always there," I said. He sighed, not completely convinced.

"As long it's what you want," He decided as he gritted his teeth. He drew his cards as if he was pulling a tooth out.

" I special summon Vice dragon in defense mode by cutting its attack in half. I sacrifice it to summon Strong Wind Dragon who gains its thousand attack points." Jack said. I flipped over my trap card.

"Say Goodbye, I activate Bending Destiny which takes your dragon out of play and returns it to your hand at the end phase" I said smugly.

"I'll have to be more careful. I put three cards down and end my turn," Jack said with a smile. I couldn't honestly tell if he was pleasantly surprised I could fight back or if he was humoring me. I'd have to try to stick it out to know for sure.

"My Fortune Lady Lighty returns and they each gain a level bringing their attack points to four hundred and twenty-eight hundred," I said as they both waved at Jack. I held my hand to my face. They could not be further from subtle unless they actually pecked him on the cheek.

"When Earthy gains a level, she deals you four hundred points of damage," I explained. Jack staggered, mostly from shock. I wondered if he was remembering every blast and skewer that they had ever inflicted on him. All the while, Yusei had watched with a frown. These were not the cute and bubbly creatures he had learned to associate me with.

"Congratulations, you've made the first hit, but it won't be that easy. Trap open, Torrential tribute" Jack said and I winced as my girls shattered in a flurry of raging tides. Most of my ladies need time to grow formidable, but I would be skipping a step.

"I play monster reborn and summon Fortune Lady Earthy," I said. Jack snapped his fingers, and I knew I was in trouble.

" I activate Bottomless Trap Hole," Jack said. I watched sympathetically as Earthy tripped and fell into the hole. I would need to pull the same trick twice then. If the combo completed, I would be swarming the field in no time.

" I summon Fortune Lady Lighty who gets taken out of play thanks to Future visions," I said. Jack's remaining trap didn't trigger. He didn't look overly concerned, but he was known for showmanship.

"Her effect activates, and I summon Fortune Lady Darky," I said. She flung her staff lazily into the air.

"I attack with Fortune Lady Darky," I said. Darky's initial laziness waned, and she threw a blast of dark energy at Jack.

"I activate Mirror Force," Jack said. The initial attack rebounded and obliterated Darky. I glanced at the remaining two cards in my hand, Mystical Space Typhoon and Magician's circle. My set card, Fortune slip, was only useful if I had a Fortune Lady on the field. No defenses this turn.

"I set one card and end my turn," I said. Jack drew and grinned. I remembered that look. He always had it just before he summoned . . . Oh, no.

" I special summon Vice Dragon in defense mode and summon Dark Resonator," He announced. The dragon crouched in wait, anticipating the transformation. Dark Resonator managed one clink of its tuning forks before blinking out of existence.

"Your safe this turn," He said, and I wished that I had a stronger Fortune Lady present to stop the Synchro summon next turn. I peeked at my new card, wish granted.

"My fortune lady appears," I said. The lady winked at Jack and took on her fighting pose.

" I changed Light to defense mode, and I activate Fortune's Future to return Fortune Fairy Earthy to the field," I continued while Earthy skipped over to her other companion.

" I attack with Fortune Fairy Earthy and activate my trap card Magician's circle to summon Solitare Magician who attacks you directly," I said. The purple drooling dragon was smacked to the ground by Earthy's staff. She gave a cheesy smile and strutted back to my side of the field. Solitary Magician similarly thwacked Jack with her staff. He glared at the creature who ran away to hide behind Earthy. Okay, I admit having a deck full of monster spirits can be pretty entertaining.

"I'm done," I said, and Jack nodded. Dark Resonator returned and strummed a note with his tuning fork in celebration. We were both running low on cards. Unless he gets something spectacular, I should keep the lead.

" I activate Monster Reborn and special summon Vice Dragon," He said, and my jaw dropped.

"The ruler's heart beats will now fly through here! Take witness to creation shaking power! Synchro summon, my very soul , Red Demon's Dragon!" He chanted. The stadium rumbled as the two monsters converged into a shining light. Jack's ace was coming, and I had nothing to combat it. The beast roared and flexed before hovering beside Jack. His very soul, he always said. Jack, you said you loved me. So show me, why I should believe you, with all your soul.

"You get a free pass," He said as Red Demon's dragon disintegrated in a series of sparks. My deck was specifically designed to stall, but hopefully I could keep Solitare Magician on the field long enough to activate her effect and destroy Red Demon's Dragon.

"So, Yusei you've been quiet. What do you think?" Jack said. Taking the opportunity presented by the brief interlude, Yusei stretched. He wasn't exactly the cheering type. So, I had forgotten he was there.

" Truthfully, I think you've regressed," Yusei said. Jack growled and crossed his arms defensively.

" No, I have strategies that work. I'm consistent. From what I hear from Crow, you're changing your mind every other second," Jack said. Yusei glared in a manner that I imagined he would if someone messed with Momentum's reactor.

"Well, Crow's been blathering all sorts of things he shouldn't. Go back to the duel Jack," Yusei said curtly. They couldn't be talking about . . . Crow's gossiping ways have their downside. There was never a guarantee that you could filter that mouth.

"I end my turn," Jack hissed. Yusei's opinion aside, I was falling victim to Jack's fortified defenses. My aces were being cut down by trap card after trap card, and I would barely be able to hold onto my remaining Fortune Ladies with a bit of luck.

"Earthy and Lighty's level increase making their attack twenty eight hundred and six hundred. You receive four hundred damage from Earthy's effect. I attack with Fortune Fairy Earthy and Solitary Magician," I said. Earthy ran at Jack stumbling slightly before summoning skewers. Solitary Magician followed behind summoning an accompaying blast. I stared at the score in amazement. I had the advantage for now. Time Passage, not a bad draw, provided that I needed the attack point boost.

"I end my turn," I said. Red Demon's Dragon returned especially antsy after its time out of play. I tried not to panic. Earthy was stronger than his dragon, and Solitaire Magician could destroy it at little cost to me.

" I activate Smashing Ground, destroying Earthy. I have to admit your strategy was throwing me off balance, but I'm about to regain control," Jack admitted, and I blushed. He doesn't confess that sort of thing to anyone else. He's treating this like an afternoon picnic.

"Red Demon's Dragon attack Solitaire Magician, Absolute Power Force," Jack said as my magician was engulfed in flames and shattered after a high pitch squeak. Suddenly, I wish I had drawn Mirror Force last turn.

" I end my turn. Can you recover Carly? I don't care if you win or lose, but at least see, I won't give up on you. I'll keep tearing down every barrier you put between us," Jack said. It's true that Red Demon's Dragon could tear down my life points to zero in a few measly turns. I couldn't let him through yet. Time Machine, yes, another stall card, I had plenty of fail safes to keep me going until I replenished my hand.

"My Fortune Lady's Level increases bringing her up to eight hundred. I set one card down and end my turn," I said. Jack analyzed my field.

"Out of steam? I use Stamping Destruction to eliminate Future Visions from the field and deal you five hundred points of damage," Jack said. The endless expanse of stars and colors disappeared to be replaced by the view of the nearly empty stadium. His dragon's foot stomped on me, dropping my life points accordingly.

" Red Demon's Dragon attack Fortune Lady Lighty, Blazing Hell Fire!" Jack said.

"I activate Slip of Fortune. Your attack is negated and Lighty is removed from play until the next standby phase," I said. He shook his head.

" You've managed to survive, but you're not making a choice. Stop stalling Carly. I end my turn. Show me what you want,"Jack pressed. I am making a choice. I need to survive. How exactly is that not a valid choice? Enlightenment, I card that was fairly useless to me at the moment.

"My lady returns and her level is reset to one. Fortune Lady Light's level increases making its attack four hundred. I end my turn," I said.

" I summon Axe Dragonute in attack mode. Attack Fortune Lady Lighty, " He ordered. Lighty shattered under the stout dragon's powerful grip.

" I activate Time Machine to return Fortune Lady Lighty to the field," I said.

"Then again, you've been hiding for so long. I shouldn't expect that you'd recover so quickly," Jack decided. I'm not fighting hard enough, then? I only have so many cards to use at a time. I'm doing the best I can. It's never good enough. I wanted to catch up to you. I wanted to help you. I did, but is it still what I want?

"I attack Lighty with Red Demon's dragon," He said. My Lady shattered like all the other girls in the morgue. I need a good draw. His life points aren't too high and he has no hand. Red Demon's Dragon's in the way and that little pipsqueak of a dragon next to him. Creature swap, darn, I could have used this earlier. I'll have to bide my time. I can take one more hit.

"I end my turn," I said, and a trace of defeat lined my voice. Strong Wind Dragon was still in his hand. Soon, two colossal dragons would be breathing down my neck.

" I sacrifice Masked Dragon to summon Strong Wind Dragon," Jack said as the winds blew at the dragons resurgence. I remember you from the hospital. I held your card in my hand.

" I attack with Strong Wind Dragon and Red Demon's Dragon," Jack said and the double onslaught knocked me to the ground. I stood with a paltry hundred life points left.

"Your turn," He said. Brain Control, that's it. It's over. Sorry Jack, I think I see it now, why I didn't follow you out the door today.

" I activate Brain Control and select Red Demon's Dragon," I said. Jack seemed confused by the play. I would surely lose next turn, and I had not chosen his strongest monster to make my final stand. I took one look at Red Demon's dragon, and back down to my hand. I won't be ending things with you buddy.

" I activate Creature Swap," I said as Jack gasped. He pointed to Strong Wind Dragon who flew to my side of the field as Red Demon's dragon returned to his side.

" I attack with Strong Wind Dragon. Destroy Red Demon's Dragon," I said. The beast exploded in a series of sparks. You're not who I want Jack, not anymore.

"I end my turn," I said.

" I summon Powered Tuner in attack mode," He said with downcast eyes.

"It's not enough," I said.

"I know, but it's what's left,"Jack said. My hands shook in anticipation. Time to say goodbye.

"Attack Strong Wind Dragon," I said. A deep satisfaction filled me when his life points dropped to zero. I turned to Yusei who clapped much to Jack's annoyance.

"Jack, I thought about it, and I can't go with you. I made a promise to stay with a friend. I don't go back on my word," I told him. He met Yusei's eyes, ready to start another fight.

"But it's not the only reason, I saw into your soul Jack and what I saw made me want to root for you, but you treated me like any other fan. We're done," I said. We walked to our respective d-wheels which were right next to each other. In hindsight, I shouldn't have parked so close to him. In the spur of the moment, he grabbed by the waist and stole a kiss. Dammit, so close to a clean break, I won't be able to forget this. A kiss at sunset, and he tastes like coffee.

"Goodbye Carly, let me know if you ever change your mind," Jack said sweetly. I nodded in a daze. We parted as he drove off in his D-wheel and I was climbing into mine. I sat there, unsure of where to go.

"Let's go home, Carly,"Yusei said, starting his bike. I glared at him. I should let Misty shoot him.

"I thought you didn't want me there anymore," I said.

"I changed my mind. People do that," He said. I turned on the ignition.

"Fine," I said. We arrived in a manner of minutes. I noticed a few things in the next few hours. One, he wouldn't leave me alone. I was typing away on the table and so was he. I went to the kitchen. He made me food. I went upstairs. He somehow beat me up there. Two, I asked him to do something, and he would drop what he was doing and do it. I said I wanted to talk. He would shut down the computer and listen. I wanted to go for a walk. He followed. I didn't dislike the attention, but I knew full well that Aki wasn't out of the picture. Nighttime came and I sneaked upstairs to Jack's old room. Misty had left me a black gown. A note was attached. For the party, love Misty. She knows me too well.

I went under the covers. The drowsiness was starting to kick in when I felt arms wrap around my waist. Yusei had come in.

" You don't have to keep me company tonight. I have a feeling I'll be fine," I said sincerely. He held me closer and mumbled incoherently.

"Yusei," I said. I shook him in an attempt to wake him up. He yawned and looked at me.

"What? Did you have a nightmare?" He asked.

"No, but why did you come find me?" I inquired.

"I always sleep with you," He said. I hid my face under the covers. I'm habit forming. He settled back into the pillows and dozed off. I did the same, pleading silently to myself. Please, let me keep you.

**I had planned to have duels all along, and was very good about keeping it hush hush. I will tell you that there will be two more by the end of this. I'm sure you realize who the last two are by now. I'm sorry if they are mistakes or if it bored you to tears. I tried. This is the first duel I actually published on here. I had a little sheet to keep track of card counts, life points and everything . Enjoy, until next time. **


	15. Pursuit

Pursuit

For all my triumph and glory, I remained inexplicably alone, no one beside me this morning. No one joined me at breakfast. I checked his obvious hideout, the garage, nothing. I searched for him upstairs. His door was locked. I knocked.

"I won't be able to keep you company today. I have a lot to do," He said. His words struck me as odd considering his behavior the day before.

"Why are you in your room instead of the garage or at work then?" I said. The faint rustling of clothes could be heard and a rather loud thud, these sounds weren't the same familiar grinding of metal or hissing of flames I was used to hearing. In fact, he simply seemed to be rearranging his room. I waited, expecting to be let in at some point.

"It's not a project, more like a series of tasks," He explained. The door knob did not turn. Yusei had stowed himself away, and he wasn't coming out.

"I can help," I offered, thinking such mundane tasks of groceries and cleaning could be split up easily.

"That's okay. I'd rather do this myself, " Yusei said.

"I'll let you keep going then," I said, abandoning my attempts to come inside. Everyone deserves a little privacy and I was perfectly capable of entertaining myself. The next few hours trickled away as I watched tv, stared at the ceiling, and found an old photo album. A few pictures may have been confiscated and photo copied before being returned to their proper place. I even took the time to refine my deck. Then, the hour of the party grew closer so I put on my contacts and the black ensemble that Misty gifted me. Minor touches on the dress such as its free flowing shape, short length and lack of straps showed that it was designed with me in mind. I thanked Misty silently for her foresight. The last thing I needed was to trip or have the straps come loose every other minute. I caught sight of him downstairs wearing a suit. He waited by the door, wringing his hands nervously, without thinking I took a picture. He turned around at the sound of the flash.

"You wore contacts again," Yusei said. That was a good sign. He liked my eyes. The stage was set. We're in the same room. He's in earshot. I can do this.

"And you're wearing a suit," I said, missing my mark completely. He eyed the door with thinly veiled apprehension.

"Aki's coming in a few minutes," He said. I didn't have his complete attention, and I hesitated to try again. The last time had ended badly, and the only interruption had been the phone ringing, not Aki herself.

"Yusei, I want to stay with you. Don't make me leave," I said, successfully prying his eyes away from the door.

"Then, I'm giving you the place," Yusei said as he made a large sweeping motion with his hand. The sheer magnitude of the gesture baffled me.

"But, you live here," I said. He wore a thin smile and chose not to look directly at me.

"I did. Aki and I will be living in Germany," Yusei said. I dropped my invitation on the floor. Jack and Yusei's conversation echoed in my ears. Then, Jack's parting words whispered tauntingly. Let me know if you change your mind. He knew this was going to happen.

"You wanted to stay in the city. It's your home," I said. For so long, he's been the city's representative, a resident legend, a constant guardian, and alone. Never completely, no, an old acquaintance here or an old rival there, but I always thought, deep down, I was enough. A small yet appealing solution had arisen: leave, don't turn back, and take that rose haired beauty in your arms. Forget everyone else, even me. They don't need you.

"And, I've done what I can to protect it, " He said. More like, you're tired of protecting it. Did I fall in that category? I was reasonably recovered and therefore, easy to abandon. Our embraces, and one rash kiss must seem juvenile compared to your ideal rose, the prize much more alluring and tangibly sweet.

"You can't think of any other reason to stay?" I asked. You claimed that I had more to offer than Crow could see. Were you stretching the truth? Part of the act, you masterfully crafted. I will stay with you. You don't need to change anything for me, and you've made it very clear that I don't need to change anything for you. And yet, you'll cross oceans for her, wear a suit, and rid yourself of the oil that often clings to you.

"You can handle yourself," He said. Yes, I fell enough times that I learned to get back on my feet as soon as possible. I'm not a pet. This wasn't a question of survival. This was clash of wills. The desires I carry, your hidden motivations, and whatever suits Aki.

"That's not what I meant," I said. The suggestion created a glimmer of doubt in his otherwise serene face. He stiffened as if the words had tightened a few loose screws. Our last conversation was never finished, and I'd yet to receive an answer.

"Carly, please, understand," Yusei begged. Verdicts in, Aki's the winner, I was a nice place holder until the real deal waltzed in.

"I understand better than anyone," I said. I'd pined a good chunk of my life away. The only difference was these two had longed for each other equally. The clean and safe path I had envisioned was rapidly being encompassed by thick rose bushes full of thorns.

"Don't you think there's a chance, you don't," He said. I narrowed the gap between us and kissed him. I was blessed by the sight of a bewildered Yusei before commencing. I shut my eyes on contact. He didn't fight me and responded, despite himself. I led him like a remote control toy, hands down, chin up, mouth open. I'd trapped him, if only for a moment.

"Love me,"Yusei finished. The words hung in the air. I smiled. He knew the answer now. The door knob began to rattle as Aki struggled to open it. Yusei had neglected to unlock it.

"Aki's here," I announced. He scrambled to say something before Aki's presence made it impossible.

"Carly," He said. Not good enough, he was still moving away. I'd made my point. It was up to him now.

"Goodbye Yusei," I said and unlocked the door. Make it past the thorny walls and we'll talk.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Aki asked. Overall, she sounded pleasant and polite. Her eyes, however, were steady and frigid. I avoided stopping. Glad, I hadn't bothered with makeup. The situation could have been so much worse.

"Snap, flash, type, it's what I do,"I remarked casually. Accepting my response, she proceeded to fix Yusei's hair and coat collar which were ruffled from my previous advances.

"Okay, have fun at the party. We're going to be a little late," She said while her hands snaked around Yusei's waist. She leaned in to give him a kiss. Taking the cue, he met her lips. I nearly tripped on the first step of the stairs at the sight. I hung on and recovered, in time, to see the two part.

"Did I win a prize?" Yusei asked in a complete daze. His head rested on her forehead, their arms entwined, the two swayed back in forth in an impromptu dance. I watched from the rail. My head cushioned between my arms. I suddenly wished that I hadn't sent my two bears to that little girl in London Yusei mentioned yesterday. I had the urge to hold something.

"You looked a little lost without me," She said. Her eyes met mine and her smile resembled a Venus Fly Trap's mouth. That mouth couldn't be trusted.

"I did?" He asked. Of course, I've been complicating your life since the moment you knocked on my door, and this girl has been pulling your strings for a long time.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Aki said, breaking eye contact with me. I turned my back on the couple and walked down stairs. I guess it didn't.

"Looks like you're still unattached," Misty said. Don't remind me. Their kiss was ingrained forever in my psyche. Misty and Kiryu subtly holding hands wasn't helping either.

"I'm meant to fly solo. Everyone else is paired up already or defective," I said. Kiryu and Misty exchanged glances. Oh dear, I can see them planning a consolation speech already. Kiryu wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Nonsense, Everyone's a little defective. I'll wrestle you up a dance partner if that's what you want. Crow shouldn't have a date. The kids scare people away," Kiryu whispered. I looked over at the five kids who were either playing tag, stuffing their faces, or hanging onto Crow's legs. Somehow, I think he's taken.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to take a few shots and turn in early," I said. The idea of surprising my boss with a few pictures of Misty's soiree lifted my spirits some. I was more than ready to get back to work.

"No luck?" Misty said.

"Do I ever have any?" I said. Arms wrapped around my waist and for a second, I thought Kiryu was trying to change my mind. Then, I noticed the marker on the right side of his face. Yusei, you're not forgiven, short of surrendering your d-wheel, any apology you give is wasted breath.

"Dance with me," Yusei demanded. I'm sure Aki's waiting to ambush me. He's constantly tempting me with fleeting affection and loyalty. At least, Jack was fairly predictable with his scorn.

"I'm sorry . Unless you give me an interview, you aren't worth my time," I told him. He spun me around.

"What do you want to know?" He said. Where your mind went? Why you never tell me no but refuse to say yes? Why you're even here when I saw you dancing the night away?

"The truth," I said. A straight answer if you can manage it, I'll settle for a well-constructed lie.

"I didn't lie to you," He insisted. I realized early on that he doesn't need to.

"You omitted some things. I can tell," I said. We do not go from sleeping in the same bed to you running off to Germany for no good reason.

"I was the one who suggested I move to Germany," Yusei admitted. My steps slowed, I didn't feel much like dancing in the first place. Aki didn't manipulate him. He chose to go of his own volition.

"Why?"I asked.

"Aki promised to return after her schooling, but it was only because she was afraid of losing me. I didn't want her to do something she might regret," Yusei explained. He's being responsible like he's inclined to do, and there's the added bonus of constant companionship along with it.

"Is moving to Germany what you want?" I asked. Don't tell me it's convenient or necessary. I'll see right through you.

"It's what I need to do," He said. Then, what you actually want remains allusive. I'll give you an opening to tell me, assuming I'm involved.

"Tell me a secret,"I said. The suggestion sparked the fluid capture of my torso and the imprisonment of my chin. His fingers guided me toward his lips until our lips almost touched. In that instant, my cheeks could melt the butter off of pancakes.

" I would have said yes," Yusei confessed. He wanted to . . . An ache accompanied the realization of what almost happened. I tightened my grip on him, but he withdrew completely. Aki marched over, occasionally pushing people out of her way. I took a step back. I had a feeling that he had strategically spirited away at some point.

"You always seem to find each other," Aki said, deliberately dragging Yusei closer to her. He obliged and prepared to explain himself, but I played a mean trick. I little pressure should teach him better manners for both our sakes.

"He seeks me out. We've both been very lonely, " I said. The pleasant facade she had maintained in front of me faded. Her hands curled into an attack position making her nails look sharper. I feigned obliviousness and rocked back and forth on my heels. Yusei's eyes darted between us. He opted to lure Aki away by grabbing her shoulder. She turned around sporting an expression that warned him not to interfere.

"Aki, let's dance," Yusei said. She removed his hand and dismissed him with a wave.

"In a minute, why don't you talk to Kiryu?" Aki suggested. I giggled when his face grew pale. He must not have known Misty and Kiryu were pen pals.

"I'd rather not," He replied, maneuvering away from his friend. Kiryu darted behind him and seized him by the shoulders.

"Oh but we have so much to talk about," Kiryu said. Yusei cringed likely expecting an unpleasant conversation ahead of him.

"Before I step onto a plane tonight, I need to know if what I heard is true,"Aki said. I'd rather not fuel Aki's wrath so I'll avoid direct questioning.

"Crow exaggerates," I said. Her indignant stance wavered. She couldn't deny that.

" Then, you tell me what's been going on in the last month," Aki said. More than you want to know, dear, I see no reason to tell you the details. There was one thing that tended to serve as a get out of jail free card for duelists that could get me out of this mess.

"I have a better idea. Duel me, and you'll see the type of person I am," I said as I retrieved my duel disk from my satchel. Duelists rarely said no to a duel so I saw no reason to wait for a response. Aki retracted hers by pressing a button on what I first mistook to be a bracelet.

"With pleasure, it's been too long since the last time I tore someone apart," She said, reminding me of her previous indiscretions. Could she still do that to me? I couldn't let her intimidate me.

" Believe me, I will not be an easy target," I said. Except, I hadn't honestly faced anyone truly hostile towards me since Divine. There was a chance that the nature of the game would change accordingly. As far as she knew, I planned to take something precious from her. Aki's plays might become unpredictable and irrational as a result. Yusei argued with Kiryu as he fought his way back to us. Once we were visible, Yusei muttered something under his breath. Kiryu ribbed him in the stomach. I distinctly heard Kiryu say something along the lines of what did you expect. At least, I'd tried not to let things get this far and tell Yusei my feelings on the matter before hand. Unfortunately, I'd lingered too long in the garden and the Gardner had taken notice. Misty selected a coin from her coin purse.

"Heads or tails?" Misty said who had the air of someone who had expected the confrontation all along. I tapped my deck nervously, wondering if I would truly pale in comparison to this deadly flower.

"Tails," Aki said. Misty flipped the coin and noted the results.

"Aki goes first. The life point count will be set to eight thousand. I trust that there will be no accidents," Misty said. They exchanged glances. Aki smiled, a delicate conniving smile. I panicked and took a few steps back. She planned to slaughter me. I heard my girls mumble worriedly.

"I can scarcely give someone a paper cut these days," Aki admitted although her tone indicated a tinge of regret.

"Keep it that way," Misty said. Aki drew her cards and gave her a subtle nod.

"I'll summon Lonefire Blossom and use its effect, " Aki said. A small sapling appeared and wriggled as if ready to attack. Aki seemed much too smug. I glanced at Yusei who seemed concerned on my behalf. This can't be good.

"I sacrifice Lonefire Blossom to summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias," Aki announced as the spore burst and a flower began to grow in its place. The flower bloomed, and a girl rose from its center with a yawn. The monster gave a curtsey.

" I activate Black Garden, set two cards face down, and end my turn, " Aki said while thorns encircled us and created a private arena. No cracks occurred because of the black mass's appearance and the spectators didn't budge. I touched a nearby thorn and my hand went right through it. I gave a sigh of relief. She wasn't lying.

"I wouldn't count my blessings yet. You're trapped," She claimed as the thorns twitched in anticipation, ready to prey on my monsters.

"We'll see about that. As long as I set my cards before hand, your field card can't touch me," I said, despite the limitations it represented to a few of my monster's special abilities. I would have to tread carefully, or I'd be strangled by flowers in a couple of turns. Aki let her eyes flutter close for a moment.

"Nothing you do matters in the end. The result will always be the same but by all means try and survive" Aki said. That phrase again, it doesn't matter. Why was I even doing this? I had nothing to gain from the encounter.

"Aki," Yusei said with a mixture of surprise and anger. She refused to look at him. Knowing better than to get involved, I kept my eyes trained on my cards. I recognized the pictures, but no semblance of strategy registered.

"You're past that," He said which seemed to soften her features slightly. For a minute, I thought we might actually have a pleasant game.

"Yusei stay out of this. She challenged me," Aki ordered. He said nothing else. She proceeded to glare at me. I couldn't fathom why until I realized she was waiting on me to finish my turn.

"I summon Fortune Lady Watery in attack mode," I said. My monster formed from the surrounding water droplets on her thorny sanctuary. Watery wasn't exactly thrilled to be facing an opponent when she was unprepared and hugged arms tightly. Aki raised an eyebrow.

"Your monster loses half its attack points and a rose token is added to my side of the field," Aki explained. Watery whimpered as thorns entangled her form. I smiled apologetically. My ladies would simply have to wait until I drew something to stop Aki's garden.

"Then, I'll use Magical Dimension so I can sacrifice Fortune Lady Watery to summon Fortune Lady Darky. I can then destroy one of your monsters, and I choose Tytannial, Princess of Camellias," I said. Watery eagerly jumped into the awaiting box and spirited herself away. Darky stepped out in her place and jammed the humanoid plant inside until the door slammed shut. Aki's monster shattered and a few Camellia petals fell to the ground before fading away.

"Bye Bye princess, " I said. Aki rolled her eyes.

"Again, your monster loses half its attack points and a second token is added to my field," She said. Anger and strife suited Aki in many alarming ways. She'd been raised on it, and tonight, I was on the receiving end. When she looked at me, I was something to be conquered. I glanced at the accumulating plant life on her side of the field. I was giving her easy Synchro fodder.

"I'll place one card face down on the field and use Time Passage on Fortune Fairy Darky," I said as a mini vortex sped around Darky. The creature glowed with an ominous aura, ready for battle.

"Her attack total rises to twenty-two hundred for this turn. Fortune Lady Darky attack one of her rose tokens, " I said. Darky rased her staff only to be surrounded by thorns. She swung uselessly as she was torn away from her target.

"I activate Wall of Thorns which destroys your Fortune Lady," She said . The thorns began to squeeze Darky into oblivion. I couldn't have that.

" Trap card open, Bending destiny, your trap card is negated and taken out of play," I said. The card disintegrated into an array of sparks. Darky abruptly fell to the ground. She stood and raised her staff into position.

"Attack her rose token,"I said. Darky launched a dark energy ball toward the token that feebly attempted to sway the other direction before shattering. As much as her tokens added versatility to her plays, they also made easy attack targets for me.

"Darky's effect activates and I revive Fortune Lady Watery in defense mode. Due to Watery's effect, I draw two cards," I said. Aki frowned, weary of the combo. I could replenish my hand much faster than she could. Aki gestured to her face down card. For a moment, I expected my ladies imminent annihilation.

"Trap card open Ivy Shackles," Aki said. Tiny seedling launched themselves onto the ground near my monsters and began to creep along their bodies, encasing them completely.

"All face up monsters on your side of the field become plant types, more or less," She said. There wasn't anything I could do about her trap card other than speculate what it would cost me later.

"I end my turn. Your trap card is returned to you," I said. Aki seemed unperturbed that I landed the first strike. She glanced at her remaining hand, fingering the newly drawn card delicately. Her field had only one rose token, but somehow, I felt as ensnared as the monsters on my field.

"Tell me. How did you and Yusei meet?"She asked. The answer didn't reveal anything that would send her over the edge so I answered.

"Wrong door," I said while she took her sweet time finishing her turn.

"I see. Did he offer to help you with something?" She pressed, and I could picture the metaphorical thorns coming for me.

"Yes, but I don't see what this has to do," I said in an attempt to convince her to continue her turn and drop the subject.

"He helps a lot of people," Aki stated flatly.

"I know that,"I said.

"Then, you understand that's all it was," Aki said. If only she knew that my feelings weren't completely unrequited, the truth would devastate her. Despite this, I couldn't understand why she was trying so hard to scare me off. She'd won.

"It's your turn Aki. My turn is over," I said while trying to emphasize what I actually meant. There was a flicker of doubt before she returned to her previous hard gaze.

"I use Fragrance Storm that allows me to destroy any plant type monster on the field and draw a card. I choose Fortune Lady Darky," She said as the vines covering my lady tightened making her burst into an array of flowers before disappearing completely.

"I drew Dark Verger. Since I showed you, I get to draw again," Aki said. She slapped the new card down on the field immediately.

"I summon Twilight Rose Knight. I use its special effect to summon Dark Verger," she said. The play was familiar. Her signer dragon was coming.

"Dark Garden cuts both my monsters attack in half and leaves two rose tokens on your side of the field," The number of tokens on the field was multiplying if only I could draw one of my stronger ladies while I had so many flowers to sacrifice.

"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!" Aki said. A blinding pink light appeared, revealing the dragon's silhouette. The dragon outstretched its petaled wings and was ensnared again by its kin. She wasn't completely in her right mind to cripple her monster so.

"By Dark Garden's effect, my dragon's attack is cut in half and another token is placed on your field. It's still strong enough to take out a rose token. Black Rose Dragon attack," she said. The victim blew apart on contact. My life points dropped to seven thousand six hundred, barely a scratch.

"I set one card and end my turn," Aki said eyeing Watery in dismay. Her increasing defense power was a liability to her current strategy.

"You may have stopped my Fortune Ladies from getting more attack power but their defense still rises for each turn they're on the field. Watery's defense increases to fifteen hundred," I said while I checked my hand. Perfect. I was getting sick of that field card.

"I think it's time you stopped relying on the familiar. I activate Future Visions," I said while the mass of thorns was taken over by the peculiar rainbow space. Both Black Rose dragon and her master grew restless from the sudden change in atmosphere.

" I change my two rose tokens to defense mode and summon Fortune Lady Lighty. Future Visions effect activates and Lighty is taken out of play," I said. Lighty stuck out her tongue at Aki before disappearing. Aki narrowed her eyes. I shrugged. My monsters didn't reflect my personal feelings at all. They have minds of their own.

"When Lighty is removed from the field, I get to summon another Fortune Lady. I choose Fortune Lady Earthy," I said. Earthy straightened her glasses and took note of Black Rose dragon on the field. She pointed to her opponent eagerly.

"I'll use Giant Trunade to remove all cards on the field, leaving your field open. Fortune Lady Earthy attack Black Rose Dragon," I said. Giddy, Earthy ran over to Black Rose Dragon and struck it with its staff. At first, the attack seemed to have no effect, and Earthy backed away uneasily. Then, the weakened monster began to crack and combusted into a flurry of sparks.

"I end my turn," I finished. Aki's field was free of monsters. I had the lead while her life points were five thousand four hundred. There was a touch of hesitation before drawing her card.

"I have more than one trick Carly. Let me show you. I activate Pot of Avarice, " Aki said as she began to peruse her graveyard.

"I get to return five monster cards to my deck and draw five cards," she said as replenished her hand, how disheartening to know that I may have to face those treacherous weeds again.

"Fortune smiles upon me which is more than I can say for you," Aki said in triumph, holding her cards together like a fan.

" First I use Mystical Space Typhoon, to get rid of Future Visions. Sorry, I have a very good idea of what I want and it doesn't involve you," Aki responded icily as the winds picked up. The infinite array stars and assortment of colors disappeared into the vortex.

"I use Fragrance Storm again and destroy Fortune Lady Earthy," Aki said as the ivy covering Earthy squeezed her into oblivion. My defenses were still thick, but Aki had all sorts of cards waiting to make their debut.

"I drew Lonefire Blossom so I get to draw again," she flashed the card at me quickly.

"Now, I activate the magic card, The World Tree, prepare to be destroyed piece by piece," Aki warned me. The tree appeared behind her seeming to glow with vibrance.

"I summon Lonefire Blossom. I activate its effect to summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias. You remember her," Aki said as the green complected creature returned.

"Tytannial attack Fortune Lady Watery," Aki commanded, and Tytannial's flowered skirt puffed up in response sending thousands of petals at Watery until she fell with a plop.

"One flower counter is added to World Tree. I use Foolish Burial to send Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis to the graveyard, set one card face down and end my turn," Aki said. The tree faintly shined with new energy and produced a flower.

"I set one card face down and end my turn," I said nervously. I had added the card I drew to my deck on a whim.

"I don't see you lasting much longer. I summon Botanical Lion in attack mode. Its attack rises three hundred points for each plant monster on my field making its attack two thousand two hundred," she said. The lion trotted forward on its wooden legs similar to upturned plant roots. The beast let out a ferocious roar as its red mane fluttered.

"I attack your rose token with Botanical Lion," Aki said. The lion pounced onto the rose ready to ravage the creature. A makeshift metallic cross contraption stopped it.

"I activate Scrap Iron Scarecrow to negate your attack," I said. I snuck a peek at Yusei curiously, something I had been avoiding since his spat with Aki. He watched the spot where Scrap Iron Scarecrow had risen, mouth agape.

"What?" Aki shouted, completely thrown.

"Why would you have that card?" She demanded.

"I added it recently. You still have an attack left,"I reminded her. She shook her head.

"Tytannial, Princess of Camellias attack her rose token," Aki said as a flurry of petals dissected the flower into mulch.

"I set one card down and end my turn," She said coolly. I had no hand. She was glaring daggers at my face down card, and the tension was thick in the large ball room. The lights were bearing down too brightly now, creating a sheen of sweat on my face. What did I have left? One? Maybe two turns? Then, I'd go home and see Yusei once more in the morning before he left if I was lucky. My next card didn't matter. This duel didn't matter. I was finished.

"Carly, I want to see you play," Yusei said. My hands shook a little less. I drew my card. I really must have stolen Yusei's luck.

"I activate Fortune's Future. Fortune Lady Lighty is returned to the graveyard and draw two cards," I said.

"I use Monster Reborn and summon Fortune Lady Earthy in attack mode," I declared, willing to at least reduce the number of monsters on her field before she eliminated Earthy. Hopefully, with my next card, there would be no need.

"I activate Burden of the Mighty. Each of your monsters loses a hundred attack points times its own level," I said while her creatures slumped visibly, struggling with the extra strain.

"This leaves your monsters attack at two thousand and eighteen hundred. Earthy attack Tytannial, Princess of Camellias," I said. A trail of spikes made their way towards the princess and were stopped by a mass of thorns, I had forgotten about that card, how careless.

"I activate Wall of Thorns. Your monster is destroyed, too bad," she said while the thorns swallowed Earthy and retreated into the ground.

"I end my turn," I said in resignation, so much for my comeback.

"You can't always have what you want, Carly. I summon Lord Poison and equip Thorn of Malice to Tytannial increasing its attack by six hundred points," Aki said. The serpentine creature slid over to the other two with spiked claws ready to strike. Thorns strangled Tytannial form making the being agitated and blinded to her surroundings.

"Lord Poison attack her remaining Rose Token," Aki declared with a flourish of her hand.

"Trap card open, Scrap Iron Scarecrow stops your attack," The helmet head slammed into the speedy slithering reptile causing it to back away.

"That trap can only protect you for so long. Botanical Lion attack her Rose token," Aki proclaimed. The feline ripped into the token leaving me exposed.

"World tree gains another flower token," She said as the tree glowed fiercely. Tytannial shared Aki's devilish smile as it lied in wait.

" Tytannial, Princess of Camellias attack Carly directly," Aki said. The maiden struck me with its newly acquired thorns. My arms stung from the onslaught as if slapped roughly.

"I use my two flower tokens to destroy your set card and end my turn," Aki said, barely hiding her satisfaction at my failure. Our life points were dead even, but I was in no position to take her on. Burden of the Mighty was hindering her, but that would only deter her for so long. I drew my next card, Mirror Force. Don't have fortune on my side, huh, Aki?

"I set one card face down and end my turn," I said.

"No need to drag this out any longer, Tytannial attack Carly directly," Aki said. The force field shielded me from the thorns embrace and blasted her entire entourage of monsters into nothingness.

"Hmm, one flower token is added to my tree. I set one monster face down. Your turn," she said with mild annoyance.

"Whew, I summon Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate," I said. An elfish witch obscured by a pointed hat sat on a ram like mount that lazed forward coming to a halt after a few steps. The steed snored on its feet.

"Attack Aki's set monster?" I asked the bumbling creature. The witch's pointed ears perked up, and it whipped the sleeping steed. The ram creature eyes opened wide and ran at the set monster. Another small feline creature resembling a dandelion gave a pitiful cry and left behind two dandelions seeds. Their small eyes peered at me as they huddled together afloat.

"I gain a second flower counter from your attack, and Dandylion leaves behind two fluff tokens when it is destroyed. Quite a handy gift to get from a stranger," Aki said. The creatures were indeed much friendlier than the rest of her monsters, floating closer to me curiously.

"I end my turn," I said. Aki signaled for the two tokens to return to their posts, and they floated back reluctantly

" I use my two flower tokens to destroy Burden of the Mighty and sacrifice a fluff token to summon Rose Tentacles," She said as an overgrown rose with an array of leafy vestiges arose from the ground.

" My monster gains an attack for each plant type monster you control. Rose Tentacles attack Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate. Thorn whip one," she said holding up a finger as if to keep count. Rose Tentacles snatched the plump ram like creature and its master from the ground an slammed them to the ground leaving a crater in its place. The rocks scattered on me making my life points drop. The crater faded into obscurity. Rose Tentacles whipped my face.

"Rose Tentacles causes an extra three hundred points of damage for each plant monster it destroys," Aki explained. The monster still loomed as its thorny appendages surrounded me.

"Rose Tentacles attack Carly directly," Aki commanded. The giant bulb struck me with its thorny arms before jumping back to Aki's side of the field.

"I set one card down and end my turn. I activate Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis effect. At the end phase, I can remove a plant monster from my graveyard to summon it in defense mode. I take Dark Verger out of play," she said as the plant resembling a phoenix in both action and description arose from the graveyard. Its thin stem unfolded its fiery feather like leaves and crouched into a defense position.

"I see the answer now," I said as I observed Amaryllis's spitfire attitude. Aki's backlash made sense now. This was not a matter of retribution at all.

"I don't understand where you're going with this," Aki hissed, crossing her arms.

"You're scared," I said. She stepped back slightly.

"Finish your turn. I've done nothing but trounce you the entire duel," Aki stated with a frown.

"Exactly, you're defensive. You don't want anything to change. That's what your fighting for," I claimed, and Aki bit her lip.

"What makes you think that?" she asked, somewhat letting her guard down.

"In your heart, you know that it makes more sense for Yusei to stay here and live his own life, but he's been your confidant for so long you don't want to let him go," I said. Aki glowered in response.

"Right because you're here, you think that's the choice he should make," Aki accused. I shook my head.

"I don't exactly inspire that sort decision. I'm a cup of Ramen,"I said sadly. Experience told me that I wasn't worth sticking around for.

"What?" Aki asked. The message was lost in translation, oops. I imagined a chuckle coming from the crowd, but I didn't have the nerve to look.

"Never mind, I activate Brain Control and take Rose Tentacles," I retracted and played my only card.

"Clever Girl," Aki said as its special ability would knock out the rest of her field.

"Rose Tentacles attack Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis," I said. The rose bud launched its attack at Amaryllis which responded by launching flares at me.

"You take eight hundred points of damage due to Amaryllis's effect when it is destroyed," Aki explained. I nodded and pointed at the cute little puff ball that was floating around.

"I attack your fluff token,"I said. The little fluff tried to scurry away but was swatted into the ground by Rose Tentacles. The tiny ball exploded and scattered into many tiny seeds.

"Rose Tentacles attacks you directly," I said. The bulbous creature struck her gently and her life points dropped to three thousand two hundred. I was down to seven hundred with nothing to go on.

"I end my turn," I said. The monster marched back over to Aki's field.

" A shame it has to end this way, you've been a tolerable opponent," she admitted.

"Rose Tentacles attack Carly directly," she said. The living rose flicked its thorny arm, and my life point count dropped to zero withing seconds. I unattached my duel disk.

"Thank you for the duel Aki. Enjoy your time in Germany. I heard you love it there," I offered. Aki unarmed herself as well and blinked a couple times.

"Ah sure," she said. The spell of malice lifted.

"Tell me something," She requested.

"Sure Aki," I said, randomly taking a few snapshots. Kinda awkward to stick around after our little scene, I think it's best that I leave now.

"We were fighting for the same thing. Weren't we?" she asked. I lost focus and put my thumb in front of the lense. Darn, they were just about to kiss to. I considered the event that led me to this beat down. Yusei, you're leaving with her. I'll miss you.

"Yeah, we were, congratulations," I replied. She granted me a genuine smile.

"I'm glad you kept him company for me," Aki thanked me but I felt too drained to feign happiness.

"No problem. He's done much more for me than I've done for him," I confessed honestly. I mostly existed during our time together.

"Funny, it always seems to start out that way," Aki muttered under her breath. She gave me a slight pat before going over to Yusei. I turned my back on the couple and walked away. Misty and Kiryu cast me worried glances. I took another snapshot of the two, this time successful and headed to the courtyard. I made my way across the walk way into the circular opening bordered by hedges. I sat by the fountain in the middle of the enclosure and looked up at the stars. The bubbling of the fountain helped keep my mind clear. I hadn't particularly taken very many pictures, but I'd returned to work tomorrow nonetheless.

"Good, I caught you," Yusei said in relief. I turned to my left to see him standing beside me. I could only see part of his tuxedo, and I didn't bother to look up at him.

"We can say goodbye tomorrow. I can't really handle it right now, not if you want me to be a good sport about it," I said, rubbing my eyes. I was thirty seconds away of losing the filter on my mouth.

"I'm not leaving,"he said. I stood and put my hands on his shoulders.

" Sleep on it,"I advised, not seeking a second confrontation with Aki. Perhaps, it did simply boil down to who needed him more, and she definitely had demons left to conquer.

"I won't change my mind," he said. I couldn't help but feel we'd gone through this before. He hadn't exactly been consistent with his feelings lately.

" Just go Yusei, I'm tired," I said, beginning the trek to my cab.

"I sent Aki home," Yusei told me as I lingered at the edge the circular patio. My little speech to Aki might have him out of sorts, but I was reluctant to leave him when he came to see me.

"And tomorrow, you'll make a mad dash to the airport, because you made a mistake," I said, and he showed no outward signs of being insulted by the comment. He had his standard passive expression on his face.

"Duel me," he demanded. That was the last thing I wanted right now.

"I hate to break this to you but that doesn't solve everything," I said. I had spent many hours clocking and reporting on duels. Some people fought over things as trivial as a hot dog, I didn't want to fix my problems that way.

"I'm not trying to," Yusei insisted.

"Then, what's the point?" I said snappishly, the late hour making me irritable. Yusei had a knack for creating headaches when there were none.

"I think it's the only way you'll begin to trust me again," he said. He connects with people this way. He wants to connect with me. I fastened my duel disk. One more duel, I could do that.

"Okay, you get one chance to wow me," I said. He smiled in that almost imperceptible way of his.

"Let's begin," he said. We stood across from each other on the circular patio. There was an excitement present that hadn't been there before. No nervousness. No apprehension. Only the feeling something new was beginning.

**Here is the new chapter. Thank you for the patience. I always have issues portraying Aki. There is Aki from the first half which I love, and then, there's the Aki from the WRGP that says Yusei every other sentence. So, I try to portray her as best I can according to my preference. **


	16. Whole

Whole

From the minute I first slipped on my thick round trifocals, I was cursed. Nothing I did ever went as planned again. I wished for Jack's love. Instead, my life ended with the bitter taste of sand. I'd returned; clueless to what I'd done in the interlude in between. In an instant, Jack had brought everything back. My patience and understanding had corroded under the strain of dealing with him and my past as a dark signer. Now, the issues that had developed from our twisted romance and the resulting consequences were put to rest. Yusei played a key role in releasing me from these old wounds, but he'd left his own scars. I'd fallen for him and had told him as much on more than one occasion. After several poignant rejections, I'd accepted that he loved someone else. Yet, he'd come here and claimed to change his mind, about leaving at least. I couldn't be sure. After Jack, words don't mean much to me.

"I don't have a coin," I realized as I stared into the abyss of my bag. I had been in a hurry to get out Poppo Time when Aki got there.

"You go ahead if you'd like," Yusei offered as he pressed a button on his metallic band to withdraw his duel disk. Aki had one like that too. It must be a new model.

A tinge of paranoia hit me. He'd given up the first turn too easily. Maybe he wanted to go second, and I was playing right into his hands. I couldn't exactly tell from looking at him. He waited patiently for me to decide. I took a deep breath and dismissed the notion. Yusei didn't think that way. Besides, he could outplay me very easily.

"I'll go first then," I said and checked my hand. I've reached a point where I can simply look at my cards and follow a familiar pattern of play. We'd be starting on my turf.

"I play Future Visions and summon Fortune Lady Lighty," I said, in a higher voice than I intended. The field slowly bled into flecks of stars and spurts of colors. Lighty appeared and leapt into a nearby portal.

"Lighty's effect activates. I can summon a fortune lady of my choosing. Appear, Fortune Lady Darky," I explained as the swirling vortex rippled. Darky surfaced from the vortex and stretched. Upon seeing Yusei, she gripped her staff more tightly.

"I use Fortune's Future to send Lighty to the graveyard and draw two cards," I said. My duel disk automatically slipped the card into the graveyard, useful while you drive, but I almost cut my finger absently trying to get it out myself.

"I place one card face down and end my turn," I finished. Yusei remained reserved and eyed the field speculatively. He's so practiced at this. Nothing comes to the surface.

I have the compelling urge to see him sweating and fumble over his cards, to show the tiniest bit of sentiment or favor. I want him to be unable to look me in the eye or at least, look sorry when he did so.

"I use the magic card Tuning. I can add one Synchron tuner to my hand from my deck. I pick Junk Synchron," he said. He took the card out by hand. I can't help noticing these things now. I'm looking for something, anything, that will give him away.

Yet, he's much too astute and calculating to waver much. His mind is on the pieces of carton in his hands. He wasted no time assembling the pieces of his mechanical partners.

" Since he's a level three monster, I must send three cards to the graveyard from the top of my deck," Yusei said as three cards automatically made their way to the graveyard. One. Two. Three. There was no reassurances or promises in his play. He's doing what he always does and always will.

"I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode. He's removed from play due to Future Vision's effect. Junk Synchron's own effect activates," Yusei announced with a dramatic hand motion. The machine reminded me of a train conductor with its large orange top hat and fancy white scarf. The creature quickly pulled a cord on its back before disappearing.

"I can summon a level two or lower monster from my graveyard. Quillbolt Hedgehog is summoned in defense mode, and its abilities are negated." he said. A small furry creature with bolts for quills scurried forward and huddled next to Yusei.

I've delayed him, but he continues with a patience garnered from years of dealing with rowdy brothers and psychotic mad men. He's always improving and growing. I don't think I can keep up. I didn't before. Jack ran away.

"I set three cards face down and end my turn," Yusei said with not so much as an inflection. The steady calm of his manner and play irritated me. Aki and Jack's emotions had been so clear and raw, but he gives me nothing. Of course, this was perfectly natural. I guess when he said he wanted to play me, I was hoping for more emotion.

"All right, Fortune Lady Darky's level becomes six and her attack points increase to twenty four hundred," I declared and opted to add Catoblepas to the field. His special ability might come in handy when Yusei started synchro summoning like crazy.

"I summon Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate," I said brusquely. In a flash, the witch on its practically comatose steed arrived and sunk into a vortex shortly after.

I'm ready first. If I hit him enough times, he's bound to feel something. Understand my frustration Yusei, I don't need someone to ignore me again.

"Fortune Lady Darky attack Quillbolt Hedgehog," I commanded. Darky swung her staff down, creating a dark energy ball. The hedgehog quivered and darted away when a cross-like contraption appeared to stop the attack. I should have known it wouldn't be so easy.

"I activate Scrap Iron Scarecrow. You should be familiar with it," Yusei explained as the card reset itself. Yes, I have it in my deck too. The scrapheap reminds me of you, always protecting someone.

"I also activate DNA Transplant. All face-up monsters on the field will be treated as light monsters," he declared while a thin film of light surrounded the monsters on the field. I puzzled over the new card for a moment. That wasn't part of one of his routine plays.

"I end my turn," I said hesitantly. He'd be able to Synchro summon next turn, not that Junk Warrior would do him much good at this point.

"Junk Synchron returns to the field," Yusei declared. The stout orange clad machine positioned itself in a fighting pose.

"Clustering stars come together and obliterate every obstacle, synchro summon, Ally of Justice Catastor !" Yusei chanted and a foreign mechanical contraption appeared in a burst of light. The front of its head was bulbous and curved downward into a sort of pointed mouth. Its one glass telescope like sensor fixated on Darky.

"What?" I blurted out.

"You thought my deck would be the same. That's cute," Yusei replied with thinly veiled amusement.

"Well, I . . . finish your turn," I told him, ignoring the comment. It was the first time he lightened up since we started. I couldn't help but smile. Yusei partially returned the favor, before slipping back into his routine.

"Ally of Justice Catastor attack Fortune Lady Darky," Yusei ordered making the machine activate. It tilted its head, analyzing its target. Then, it marched forward on its spider-like legs.

"Catastor can destroy any non-Dark monster without applying damage calculation. Darky is treated as a light attribute monster while DNA Transplant is on the field. She is destroyed automatically," he announced. Catastor began to focus its energy into a beam. Darky seemed sickly with the thin veil around her and was barely able to lift her staff as some form of defense.

"Trap card open, Slip of Fortune," I said in retaliation. The beam did not reach its target as Darky transported herself out of the way.

"Your attack is negated, and Darky is returned to me next turn," I explained. Yusei nodded and didn't continue, abandoning his rapid pace. He looked at his cards, likely contemplating strategies for next turn.

"I never meant to upset you," Yusei interjected. His words caught me by surprise. I didn't think he'd want to talk about this.

"Did it ever occur to you to make a decision and stick with it?" I snapped at him.

"I have," Yusei answered and stared at me intently. I broke eye contact. Yusei took it as a sign to continue.

" I set one card face down and end my turn," Yusei said. Warmth like alcoholic poison hits me, I think of what he did. He abandoned a fancy party and basically said, play with me. It's almost sweet in an indirect way. Then again, what choice did he make exactly? Did I look so frail in comparison to Aki that he decided to stay? Will see about that, I'd crush him. Dealing with Catastor would normally be tricky, but luckily, I had just the thing to counter with.

"Darky and Catoblepas return to the field," I said, at ease, once my monsters returned. The fortune ladies were an extension of my fortune deck. My fairies all grown up, once we reunited having them around felt natural.

"I use Magical Dimension to sacrifice Catoblebas and destroy Catastor," I said. The witch's steed's eyes went wide as Darky rudely shoved both into the box. Confused, the witch kept the door from shutting with her wand. Darky whispered to the witch who flashed her gnarly purple incisors and nodded. The box closed and began to tremble, exuding multiple sparks. The door flew open revealing Catastor's smashed pieces. My girls could be tricky when they wanted to be

"How familiar," Yusei remarked idly. My hands trembled from the reminder. The box faded from view.

I've been so destructive and hurt so many people. I paid a hefty price to know what I know and be who I am. I have to wonder if I'm better off this way. Then, I see him, and for the first time really understand what's happening. We're dueling when he wouldn't even give me an interview before. I'm facing the duel king after spending a year watching someone else play. I can't take that for granted.

"I special summon Fortune Lady Watery in attack mode due to Magical Dimension's effect," I said. Ripples formed as Watery emerged, she pressed her hands together and performed a little chant.

"When Fortune Lady Watery is special summoned, I get to draw two more cards," I said. Overall, I was doing better than expected, two fortune ladies on offense, ladies to summon if I eventually needed to go on defense along with a few handy support cards.

This didn't help alleviate the developing anticipation. My body tingled. I expected to fail. He would pull some maneuver at the last second to win if his track record held up. The result wasn't important. I wanted to be convinced beyond reason that he deserved my attention.

"Fortune lady Darky attack him directly," I said. Darky unleashed a tiny energy ball with the flick of her wrist. Okay, so she knew the attack was going to be blocked, but I would prefer she play along.

"Scrap Iron Scarecrow activates. Your attack is blocked," Yusei said, all the while staring at Darky. Can he see what my fortune ladies do too? By that logic, Jack should have been aware of their blatant flirting during our last duel. Aki didn't react to their shenanigans either. I wonder if the other signers simply ignored it.

"They're a rather spirited bunch," he remarked. I guess the whole Crimson Dragon saga would give him some insight into this sort of thing.

"Eh, yeah, does it bother you?"I asked. My monster's antics could be distracting. They were also my old accomplices. It seemed like the sort of thing he would worry about.

Darky sticked her tongue out at him. Yusei doesn't react to her taunts, but his eyes sparkled like a current in complex circuitry.

"No, it's interesting to see duel spirits play around, mine behave," Yusei answered. It's a shame there's no legitimate way to do a report on all this mystical stuff. Duel spirits would be interesting to research. Wait, he said he had some too. Let's see Stardust and maybe . . .

"Carly, you're still in your battle phase," Yusei reminded me.

He's wide open. I completely forgot. I can't seem to focus. It's more like were talking while playing on a mat, drinking hot cocoa, instead out here in the cold. We needed to keep going. I don't know him, not really. I know his dueling track record, and learned how he acts, but I don't know if I can trust him. He's changed his mind so many times. I can't keep up.

"Sorry, um, Fortune Lady Watery attack him directly," I mumbled. Watery traveled fluidly on the tips of her toes and raised her staff to strike him.

"Trap card open, I activate Synchro Spirits," Yusei said quickly.

He revived them, but I should expect this sort of thing. His deck's all about salvaging things. My mind's pricked by Aki's previous thorny words and a sliver doubt seeped out from the wound. Aki claimed that he simply helped me because it was in his nature to help me. Will he save some other damsel in distress tomorrow? It happened once already, not that Jack hadn't shown a change of heart recently.

"Synchro Spirits allows me to remove one synchro monster in the graveyard from play and summon the monsters used in that synchro summon. I remove from play Ally of Justice Catastor and summon Junk Synchron and Quillbolt Hedgehog," Yusei explained. Junk Synchron and Quillbolt Hedgehog appeared in a flash of light. Watery lowered her staff and waited for orders. Junk Synchron's stronger. He'll have an opening to synchro again. It can't be helped.

"Watery attack Quillbolt Hedgehog," I told her, and she redirected the blow accordingly. The creature had been put in defense mode, and Yusei escaped without any damage.

I almost put a monster in the magic and trap card zone. I realize that Yusei may not have been what's been inhibiting my focus. I'm tired, literally and mentally. I've suffered the wrath of roses and coffe lovers. I wanted sleep. My flippant ideas about trust and the future seemed trite now. Okay, Carly, what will it be one may five turns before you screw up and lose? You can make it that long.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn," I said while stifling a yawn.

"I'm boring you," he stated in that same passive tone he usually has. It wasn't a question. I wasn't bored per say, but the lull of sleeping was winning right now.

"No, it's late that's all," I insisted.

"I'll have to wake you up then," Yusei decided, and yanked out his next card as if were stuck in the deck slot.

I rubbed my eyes and his eye twitched. Wait, I think I've cracked the code. He's annoyed. I rubbed my eyes again. He made his move, and it took him two tries to put the magic card into the slot.

"I use mystical space typhoon to destroy Future Visions," Yusei said, and our surroundings slowly faded away to reveal the courtyard.

"Next, I activate Quillbolt Hedgehog's effect that allows me to summon him while a face up Tuner monster is on the field," Yusei said while Quillbolt Hedgehog returned with a simple poof.

I have to applaud his resilience. He can Synchro summon a second time. He cast his hand in the air as if calling the contraption from the heavens themselves. His two monsters combusted into two bright balls of energy that joined together to form a shaft of light.

""Clustering stars come together and obliterate every obstacle, synchro summon, Ally of Justice Catastor !" he chanted. A new robot came to the field of the same design and mindless objective.

I found something profoundly wrong with that creature. It's everything Yusei's worked against his entire life, blind destruction. It wasn't protecting anything and cast aside anything that stood in its way.

"Catastor Attack Fortune Lady Darky, Light Obliteration," he shouted with more zeal than he'd shown the entire duel. I couldn't save her but her destruction would not be in vain. I would be getting back up.

"I activate Inherited Fortune, I can summon up to two fortune ladies next turn," I said. Yusei grinned.

"Your monsters are annoyingly hard to get rid of,"he said in mock exasperation.

"So are yours,"I replied and stuck out my tongue. I might have lost one of my monsters, but this exchange was a welcome distraction from repeatedly blocking each others attacks. No one had actually taken any lifepoints yet. I was tempted to throw the duel. I was starting to break down. I would be still a moment and black out for a few seconds before shaking of the weariness.

" Since Darky is treated as a light attribute while DNA Transplant is on the field, you take no damage from Catastor's attack," he said. A small consolation when his monster can keep destroying mine until I am wide open.

He wasn't annoyed by my sleepiness now. Yusei almost walked over when I started to nod off again. I shook my head.

"I end my turn," he said, reluctantly, itching to play nurse. I slowly took out my next card. Please let it be useful.

"Inherited Fortune's effect activates, I special summon Fortune Lady Fiery and Fortune Lady Watery in defense mode and choose to normal summon Fortune Lady Windy in attack mode," I said while the three hopped onto the field.

I needed to get rid of his combo, otherwise it didn't matter who I summoned. I had drawn the perfect remedy to this. He's actual Synchro would be tougher with Darky in the graveyard.

"Windy's effect activates destroying all three of your face down cards," Windy unleashed fierce winds and each card shattered as the other ladies contributed to the onslaught.

"I end my turn," I said, feeling a little nervous to have left Windy with little protection. Still, as useful as Catastor was, it could not put a dent in my life points without attacking me directly or attacking a dark monster attribute. If he did summon another monster, I would just have to hope that it wouldn't be too powerful.

"Oh, it's come," Yusei whispered and fingered the new card. He turned to me.

"Are you ready to see something new?" he asked, and a kiddish sort of eagerness returned to his features. Maybe, I misjudged his seriousness too much. He's expressed more emotion with me than I'd ever saw on his face during the WRGP.

"That synchro's new," I said, pointing to the spider-like contraption.

"Ah, yes, but I think you'll like this one," he told me with cheerful certainty.

"Okay, go ahead," I said. Maybe, the monster would be cute like the hedgehog.

" I use Reinforcement of the Army to add Junk Synchron to my hand," he said and added his go to tuner to his hand.

"Then I'll summon Junk Synchron in attack mode," Yusei said. Two level five and three monsters, normally, he'd summon Stardust but what else could he be planning?

"Gathering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!" Yusei chanted, making the familiar silver-winged creature appear. In a cocoon-like position, Stardust unfurled its body and let out a roar. Dazzling and sparkling, it hovered in the air.

"I've seen that card before," I said. Everyone who hadn't lived under a rock for the past several years had seen that card.

"I didn't say I was summoning the new card this turn," Yusei explained.

"Then, why did you mention it now?" I demanded.

"Because 'm summoning it on your turn, but first, I remove Skill Successor from the graveyard to increase Stardust's attack to three thousand three hundred this turn," Yusei said and pointed to the vulnerable Windy who stared at the spear-headed dragon in awe. Stardust bulked up as a red aura surrounded its form. The dragon let out a second roar and circled around like a seagull waiting to pick up scraps.

"Stardust attack Fortune Lady Windy, Shooting Sonic," Yusei commanded. My face down card wouldn't save windy. The levels she would gain wouldn't do much good,but it would limit the damage. I had seconds before the blast hit and decided I should.

"I activate Time Passage, Windy's level increases by three making her attack points eighteen hundred" The white stream, consisting of small sparks of lights similar to captured stars, targeted Windy until she shattered.

The attack stung. I tilted a little to the left. He held his hand out, and I shook my head again.

" I set one card face down and end my turn," Yusei said. He no longer had a stiffness to him, but I could tell he was waiting to spring something on me. Stardust was the opening act. Technically, the surprise was better than Stardust. If I went by it's sheer sparkliness alone, I was in trouble. I drew a new card, and he immediately directed his hand to his set card.

"Trap card open, Assault Mode Activate, I tribute Stardust Dragon in order to summon a new monster from my deck, Stardust Dragon Assault Mode," Yusei said as Stardust dissolved into a series of sparks. I hadn't expected that card. I knew little about the recent releases thanks to the chaotic mess my life had turned into a while back. The dragon retained most of Stardust attributes with its pale blue scales and spear like head, the only difference being its heavy duty armor. I admit it's pretty. He obviously wasn't performing his regular old routine or he'd gotten at least one new one since anyone in the public had seen him duel.

"I activate Burden of the Mighty," I said. That should take this level tenth behemoth down a notch.

"I activate Stardust Dragon/Assault mode's effect. I tribute her to negate your card's activation and destroy it," Yusei said. I stared at the one card left in my hand. I should activate it now and avoid his new beast's ability.

"First Fortune Lady Fiery and Watery's levels increase by one making their attack six hundred and eighteen hundred. Then, I activate Future Visions," I said as the night became engulfed by stars and masses of swirling color.

I considered attacking while he was open but that would guarantee an early finish to the duel when his monster returned next turn. I'd have to wait and hope for a way to win to present itself. He noted my passivity.

"Carly, it is not infallible. It can only protect one thing at a time," Yusei advised. I felt like a little school kid being lectured by the teacher. Something about what he said unsettled me, if Red Demon's dragon is Jack soul, then, would stardust be Yusei's? Or maybe I'm reading too much into something Jack liked to shout at the spectators.

"I end my turn," I said. His attention left his cards as it had multiple times before. His gaze fell on a particular swirl. I briefly wondered if he was hypnotized. I squinted and realized that he was staring at the still going party. Let's see I believed him all of ten minutes before his thoughts went to Aki. He asked for one duel from me, and he's still pining for her.

"You can go if you want. You're obviously going to win," I said, already aiming to take off the clunky duel disk. Yusei snapped out of whatever trance he'd placed himself in and walked over to me. He took my hands and kept me from forfeiting. I attempted to wriggle away to no avail.

"Relax. I wasn't thinking of going back. Didn't you promise me one duel? If you back out, I get a second wish," Yusei reassured me. I spied Aki and Misty's silhouettes embracing inside from my eye line. I suppose I could sympathize. He had promised to leave with her and changed his mind after she flew all the way here.

It's kinda what I'm worried about. He's known her longer, and he wants to stay with me. The facts tell me not to trust him, but I want to.

"It's your turn," I said. Yusei gave me a pat on the back before returning to his side of the field. It was odd to see through the holograms. My eyes tended to not like the confusion and hurt afterwards. I blinked a few times before the villa disappeared from view.

"Stardust Dragon Assault mode returns to the field, and I switch Quillbolt Hedgehog to attack mode," he said. I didn't foresee very many turns left in my future. I yawned again, maybe that was for the best.

"Stardust Dragon Assault mode and Quillbolt Hedgehog attack Fortune Lady Watery and Fortune Lady Fiery," he ordered. A blinding blast hit Watery making her evaporate out of existence while Quillbolt Hedgehog charged head first into Fiery resulting in two consecutive shatters.

"I end my turn," Yusei said. That dragon's tough, and I have absolutely no chance without a great amount of luck so it's neigh impossible with me especially. I'll try, even if I can't keep up.

"I summon Fortune Lady Lighty," I said with minimal confidence. I already knew what was going to happen to her.

"Stardust Dragon Assault Mode's effect activates, negating your summon and destroying your monster," Yusei said. Another shatter, and I'm wide open.

"I end my turn," I said. My voice sounded almost robotic. Yusei frowned.

"If you really don't want to play," he started to say.

"No, I want to," I interrupted.

"Are you sure? You're not having much fun," he said. I nodded. I did get a little carried away. It's not like Stardust will eat me if I fail.

"I got a little caught up in the moment," I admitted. I spent so long trying to be as good as Jack that I get competitive sometimes. I had slipped into an old pattern again. At least, I could appreciate Yusei's effort. That's dragon had been impressive.

"It happens, at least you didn't get slapped," Yusei muttered vaguely.

"What?" I asked. Any paparazzi worth their salary would have taken a shot of that. He caught himself seeming to go on the defensive.

"Never mind, it's your turn," Yusei said. He made a mistake. What could be going through his head?

"No it isn't unless you're skipping your turn," I told him. He shook his head which seems to dispel his reverie.

"Oh right, I set one monster down in defense mode and sacrifice it to special summon Turret Warrior. My monster gains the attack of the monster used as a tribute. His attack points increase to three thousand," Yusei said, adding to his already formidable arsenal. If I do the math, I'm doomed.

"Stardust Dragon Assault mode, Turret Warrior, Quillbolt Hedgehog attack her directly," he said, pointing my direction. I crossed my arms to shield my face. The holograms wouldn't hurt, but Kaiba Corp. technology was known to produce massive winds to simulate some sort of physical impact when the monsters hit you. The massive burst of silvery energy blinded me momentarily. Then, a sudden gust of wind hit my stomach as Turret Warrior sliced through my torso. I fell backwards managing to break my fall. Finally, Quillbolt Hedgehog landed on me, and I heard the distinct ping of my life points dropping to zero. Getting hit all at once was unpleasant. It reminded me of my duel with Divine.

"Carly, are you okay?" Yusei asked, already lifting me off the ground and checking my head for possible bruising.

"I didn't hit my head," I said. He nodded and began checking my arms.

"I'm okay. Nothing bad happened," I insisted.

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I asked to duel you," he said apologetically.

"Lots of people fall when they're dueling like this. Most Little kids are afraid to try when they see people constantly fall and scream dramatically," I said. Despite its briefness, nothing had really gone wrong with the duel. I wasn't sure what was upsetting him.

"I don't think I managed to make this a positive experience. Not the best trust exercise I've done, I think blasting you away in one turn was a little much" he said. Nodding absently, I started trekking toward the area that I thought was the parking lot. Yusei steered me away from the bushes using my shoulders and directed me toward the actual parking lot.

"Oh that, I think I get it. You have a very pretty soul," I said and yawned again. Yusei halted, and I found myself walking in place as he held my shoulders.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he said. We weren't walking toward my cab which was just as well if I couldn't find the parking lot by myself.

"You can only protect one person at a time. Sure you can help save a lot more with other people, but you can only save one yourself," I rambled along. He gave up on steering me to safety and picked me up instead. I didn't fight him today. I'm tired.

"Is that so?" he said in a way that indulgent parents speak to their prattling offspring.

"Yup, but you didn't do that this time,"I said. His grip on me tightened and his expression resembled a sulking child's face.

"What did I do?" he asked with an air of obliviousness. The sleek red D-wheel came into view.

"You hurt them. Today, you were Catastor," I said. We slipped into the D-wheel which was roomier than the last time I sat in it. I think it's for two now. Once we were seated, he paused. I heard crickets chatter during the silence. He didn't seem to know which way to go.

"Do you want me to drop you off at your apartment?"he asked. I looked up at him in confusion. There wasn't anything I needed from there.

"No, I want to go home,"I explained. His perfectly marbleized features softened, and he smiled again. My eyes began to flutter close. His lips touched mine, and I knew I wasn't dreaming anymore.

**Okay, someone called it, this is the second to last chapter, after this you get an epilogue at some point in the future, possibly sometime during Thanksgiving break depending how things go. A lot of my classes are project classes so most end long before final's week. Expect possible delays, but really, thank you for reading. **

**I have the first two chapters of Accident Prone done. I will be switching to my Gx Crossover for a while once Shutter Fancy is complete. I can post the first two Accident Prone chapters if you'd like to check it out and possibly put it on alert for when I do get to it. Right now, I'm thinking sometime in the summertime even. The Crossover I'm doing will cover a lot of duels so that is why I expect it will take me so long to come back to Accident Prone. Leave your opinion on whether that would just be torture or not. I will consider it. **


	17. Reunion

Reunion

It's strange, a part of me is completely mortified that I'd fallen asleep on him the night before. The other half was very relieved that I'd woken up in Yusei's bedroom this morning. It was a good sign all things considered. I rubbed my eyes, already feeling my need for coffee kicking in. I got myself out of bed. The fabric of the dress had bunched together while I slept and neatly fell to my knees as I stood. Again, I ended up sleeping in clothes I wore the day before. I really need to stop falling asleep at inconvenient times.

My phone rang, and I checked the caller id, Demak. I braced myself for what he might say. My old boss usually called to scold me, and although Demak had proven more flexible, I retained a level of nervousness from such calls. I hadn't been to work in a long while, but it was Demak that had suggested I take time off. If I considered the matter rationally, at most, my workload would triple as a consequence of my extended leave.

"Hello," I said. From what I could tell of his holographic image, he seemed to bare me no ill will. In fact, he was grinning. A sight that was unsettling, instead of reassuring. His face wasn't really built for such a broad smile.

"I never thanked you for letting me take so much time off. Sorry, I haven't been much of an asset," I said, after a minute or two without a response. Demak shook his head.

"That's part of the reason I called. You've been dueling haven't you?" Demak asked, despite seeming to know the answer. I didn't like were this was going.

"Yes, but how did you know that?" I asked. Demak adjusted the screen so more of his office was visible. On his desk was a laptop, it was currently playing a video. Brief instances of each of my duels appeared, the top of the video read Carly's dueling highlights. Someone recorded the duels I'd been having the last couple of days. I dropped the phone as it hit me.

I had exchanged a kiss with two out of three of those duelist. Sure enough, the phone's screen flickered, but Jack's impromptu goodbye came on screen. Okay, that's bad, but maybe, they didn't catch the other kiss. The video screen went black, and I sighed. Good, the last thing I needed was to become infamous for that sort of thing. Plain white letters slowly appeared, they spelled out words that filled me with dread: but wait, there's more. The room seemed to grow colder after that. And, there we were exchanging saliva for all the world to see. Demak shut the computer and turned to me, with that same strange smile.

"Sales have gone through the roof. Several of your fans have requested that you start writing a dueling column," Demak said. I blinked.

"What fans?" I asked. It makes no sense. I'm a reporter, not a duelist, last night should attest to that.

"Carly, you challenged three of the most high profile duelists in the world in the last three days and won one out of three and kissed two out of three. The only way for you to possibly be more of a hot ticket would be if you had kissed three out of three," Demak explained. A heat spread through me like hot syrup on pancakes. I was the thing to gossip about this week. It was fairly miraculous I hadn't been bombarded by my fellow peers. I picked the phone off the floor.

"They're not taking the whole kiss thing seriously are they?" I asked, but I could already see Angela having a field day with this.

"They nicknamed you Fortune's Kiss," Demak replied. I shut my eyes for a second. No, I was possessed by Aslla Piscu, took people's souls, leveled buildings, and this is what makes it on camera?

"It looks like you need some time to process this. Be ready to come to work tomorrow," Demak said, before cutting the call short.

"You don't have to do that," I said, too late. I decide to change into my regular attire so something about the day could feel normal. My satchel was on Yusei's desk, but something else sitting on the desk distracted me.

My two bears were sitting there, back to back. They peered up at me with their glassy eyes. I had sent them to Ruka. Their presence here was puzzling. Perhaps, she simply decided she didn't want a present from me. Word of Aki's visit could have reached her by now with the media on my case. A small note was on Yusei bear's lap. It read, come downstairs. I put on my usual attire. I had missed my blue jeans, striped shirt, and orange vest. Of course, there was also the pair of glasses that helped save me. Leaving the contacts on had left my eyes irritated, I took them off and slipped on my trifocals. Prepared at last, I came downstairs to see what the fuss was about.

My white and purple furniture now mixed together with the old worn sofa and arm chair. I sort of regretted the color choice now. White and purple were Jack colors, but I was glad to see I was being integrated into the household nonetheless. The old table still remained in the corner. I vaguely remember Jack bragging that he made it. Adjacent to that was the kitchen were my appliances were together with some of the more rusted if dependable contraptions. One such device was in use now, Yusei was busy making waffles. He was talking on the phone while placing the newly made waffles on a plate. I glanced at the two separate stacks hopefully. I was ninety nine percent sure one of those stacks was meant for me.

"Kiryu, I just need you to tell me if you were the one who posted those videos online. I promise I won't yell at you," Yusei said. I stood there and waited patiently. Yusei didn't look particularly affected by the situation yet. His cool demeanor actually worked to our advantage this time. I considered the evidence. Kiryu was at the party, but how would he even know about my duel with Jack? Then again, he'd slipped past me before, and the stadium was huge.

"Misty?" he mouthed. I couldn't believe it. It didn't seem like Misty to violate my privacy like that, considering some of the footage.

"You took the recording from Misty and posted it online," Yusei repeated. He unplugged the waffle maker.

"You do understand how that might make things difficult for us don't you?" Yusei asked evenly. I walked past him and commandeered one of the stacks. He grabbed the syrup and added it to his and where he assumed my plate still was. I covered my mouth to not give myself away. I was very close to laughing.

"You would say that,"Yusei grumbled, hanging up. He stared at the sticky mess of syrup on the counter. He quickly pieced together what happened. He spotted me.

"Good morning," he said, adding syrup to my waffles.

"Morning," I replied. He nodded and began to clean up the syrup.

After a few minutes of silence, I looked around the living room before broaching the subject. The message was clear to me, but I never really know what's going on in his head.

"My furniture is here," I said. He put down the syrup. The following thud was rather loud. I stiffened and wondered if I had upset him. He toyed with his fingers and didn't look directly at me.

"It's too soon isn't it. I can put it back," Yusei said, already moving past me and aiming to do just that. He bent over to move the furniture. The sofa creaked a little as he started to push it. I grabbed his sleeve.

"No, I'm glad," I said. He stopped in his tracks and the tension in his shoulders ceased. He straightened and turned around.

"Do you know about the videos yet?" Yusei prompted. I nodded and ate one of the triangular waffle bits.

"I imagine it will be difficult for you to snoop if everyone knows your face," Yusei added. He had a point.

"I'm thinking of starting a dueling column. It's easier to cover, and there's less of a chance I'll be bombarded at a bad time," I explained and sat down on the sofa. He retrieved his own plate of waffles and joined me.

"I can't say I'm not relieved. You have a tendency to," He hesitated.

"Trip or die," I finished for him. He didn't comment. We ate quietly. I was very careful not to spill any on the sofa. Eventually, I was staring at an empty plate that still had specks of syrup. Yusei traced designs with the leftover syrup on his plate, mainly large circles.

"We're going to the park," he said. So far, I had remained safe from outside intrusion because I was indoors. There were no guarantee that the park would be the most peaceful place right now. I might be used to sneaking around, but part of the reason I was good at it was because people rarely gave me a second glance. This whole video craze put a red hot target on my back.

"Is now really the best time for that?"I asked. Yusei took our plates to the sink and washed them.

"You said you could sneak past other reporters right? A few people are meeting us there,"he explained. I thought back to my old bears innocently sitting on Yusei's desk. The idea that Ruka and Rua were visiting was much more appealing than thinking Ruka had rejected my presents.

"The twins?" I asked. He stopped drying the plate momentarily.

"Oh no. They're not coming till the weekend," Yusei informed me as he added the freshly cleaned dishes to the cabinet. The abrupt trip seemed odd. They did live all the way in England now. Considering the long flight., a weekend trip hardly seemed worth the short time they would be here.

"Why now? I'd think they'd hate me,"I said. Yusei who normally would protest that sort of assumption answered honestly.

"They're giving me the benefit of the doubt," he said.

Okay, so I have the weekend to be charming. I think I could do that. While I was with Jack, I don't think I ever saw them more than once or twice. Which meant I technically had yet to make a first impression, unfortunately, it also meant that Aki's recent disastrous trip was all the impression they had of me. So, in little kid terms, I was a Yusei stealer.

I really didn't want to think about that too long. So, I opted to change the subject. Perhaps, I can talk him out of going to the park right now.

"So, any particular reason it has to be the park?"I asked. I would think he'd want to lie low too.

" Kiryu already decorated," Yusei replied vaguely. He headed towards his bike. I hesitated before following him.

"For what?"I asked. Yusei sat down and turned on the bike.

"A dark signer reunion," he responded while he stared down at the controls, perfectly maintained as always. I sat down behind him.

"And you're okay with that?" I asked, unsure of how Demak's presence might dampen Yusei's attitude on attending the affair. The tension at their last meeting had been rather thick.

"Yes, it was rash of me to judge Demak so quickly," Yusei admitted and pressed a button on the bike that seemed to serve as a garage door opener. We zipped along the streets with typical disregard for traffic laws. The only difference was that he had to jump over a herd of reporters as well. I hit him.

"Be more careful or I will leave my hands up in the air while you drive, and I will let the chips fall were they may," I threatened, successfully slowing him down. As a result, we were actually the last ones to arrive.

We got off the bike and walked to the nearby picnic table and tree. The sign on the tree literally read dark signer reunion. I'd wished Kiryu would have been more subtle about it. I suppose most people in the city didn't know the proper terms for what they saw anyway. I checked to see if everyone was indeed there. I saw no signs of Bomber joining the festivities. It made sense to me considering he lived the farthest away, and he wasn't particularly close to the group. We did kind of just stick him into momentum's core to speed up the process.

But the rest of the surviving members were sitting at the picnic table as if it were the equivalent of a high school reunion. Kiryu noticed our arrival first. He stood up and walked over to greet us.

"Hey, you made it. From the way Yusei was going on and on, I had expected more of a delay,"

"Yusei jumped his bike over the reporters," I told him, and Kiryu grinned at Yusei knowingly. He also sported the sort of look that seemed to imply that he knew all along there was a devil in there somewhere.

"Ah, Yusei decided not to be polite then," Kiryu said. When Yusei failed to continue the conversation, I took over. I was actually dreadfully curious if my article had actually helped the small western town out.

"How are thing in Satisfaction Town anyway?" I asked.

"Never better, your article actually attracted a lot of tourism. We sell replica Yusei poncho's now. They sell like hot cakes. " Kiryu announced proudly. He produced one from his leather backpack and handed it to me. It was rather heavy, but I was surprised that it wasn't imitation leather. These ponchos likely didn't come cheap.

"Kiryu," Yusei said as if his name was a curse. I looked between them. I doubt Kiryu had bothered to ask Yusei's permission.

"What? I got the pattern from Martha, and besides, it doesn't mean your poncho's any less special," Kiryu said.

"That really isn't why I have a problem with it," Yusei muttered. He had his arms crossed and was avoiding eye contact with Kiryu.

"It's capitalism Yusei, deal with it. By the way," Kiryu replied before returning his attention to me.

"That one is for you," Kiryu said to me, after deciding that there was no use placating Yusei at the moment. Yusei hid his face with one of his hands.

"Kiryu," he said again although this time was much softer. Kiryu patted his back .

"Thanks," I said, putting it on. All the previous dark signer's laughed as I skipped along in the poncho. Yusei sat down next to them, letting his shoulder's droop. I trotted back eventually. Misty signaled for me to come closer. I hunched down like she commanded so she could whisper in my ear.

"Ask him if he likes it," Misty advised me. I didn't really get it. He had one just like it. Of course he liked it, I went ahead and decided to heed Misty's advice anyway.

I squeezed in between him and Kiryu. Only then did I notice that Demak sat on the other side of the table alone. Even now, he isn't the most approachable person on earth. I tapped Yusei's shoulder to get his attention.

"Do you like it?" I asked him. The question didn't seem to register like I expected.

"It's kind of nice to see you in something of mine, sort of," Yusei confessed. Misty's agenda clicked as I realized it was the equivalent of wearing a guy's oversized t-shirt.

"I can take it off if you don't want me to wear it. I mean," I backtracked as I realized how it sounded. There was a flash. Kiryu twirled the phone around his fingers like a cheap one dollar toy.

"And send," Kiryu mentioned off handedly as he pressed a button on his phone.

"What did you do?"Yusei snapped at him. Kiryu whistled innocently.

"Weren't you worried that people would assume that she was with Jack? I sent the tabloids a picture of you two together with her wearing your poncho, problem solved," Kiryu explained. Yusei shoved him.

"I never said that," he denied, vehemently. I gave him a reassuring hug. This seemed to calm him as he leaned back involuntarily, until Kiryu shoved him back. I almost tumbled backward because of it. Both Misty and I switched to the other side of the table to avoid the crossfire.

"There's cake," Misty offered. She cut the chocolate cake into five pieces and passed them around the table. We left Yusei's and Kiryu's cake a respectable distance from their spat. It was kind of fascinating to witness Yusei put someone in a headlock.

"So this is why you gave me the day off," I said in an attempt to make small talk with Demak.

"Aye," he said, mostly pushing around the pieces of cake on his plate. The three of us watched them silently for a while.

"You took video of me Misty?" I asked finally, after the silence grew dull.

"I'm sorry Carly. I was keeping the tapes as a sort of keep sake. I didn't realize he'd get a hold of them," Misty replied wryly.

"It's okay, Misty, according to Demak some good came out of it. Sales from the magazine have sky rocketed," I assured her. Misty narrowed her eyes at Demak.

"How convenient," she said. Demak didn't budge, despite the icy stare.

"Justice must truly be blind if you don't see that Kiryu is prone to this sort of thing. Exhibit A," Demak gestured to the two siblings who wrestled on the floor. At this point, it seemed unhealthy to let it continue.

"Yusei, it's not like he can take it back. Get up," I demanded. Yusei sighed and stood. While his back was turned, Kiryu got him in a head lock and shook his hair affectionately. Yusei attempted to undo the damage but random strands of his hair fell into disarray.

"You feeling okay? We haven't tussled like that since Crashtown," Kiryu asked, sitting next to Misty. Yusei sat next to me without thinking about it. The side of the table we were on became crowded. Demak changed to the other side of the table.

"I just feel a little out of place here," Yusei said. Let's see. Dark signer. Dark signer. Dark signer. Dark signer. Signer. Okay, so it's a little awkward.

"Nonsense, you're like an honorary dark signer,"Kiryu said. Yusei's faced blanched. I winced, such a bad move on Kiryu's part. I hung onto him based on an irrational fear he might run away.

"Please, don't say that,"Yusei said. Kiryu thought about it.

"Well, its more of a clan name now," Kiryu explained. Yusei wasn't sold on the idea. Misty stepped in.

"I think what he's trying to say is you're family. So long as you stay with Carly, you're stuck with us," Misty said. I let my head hit the picnic table. Way to make me sound appealing Misty, it was a good thing that he'd initiated the get together. I consoled myself with the fact that he was stuck with Kiryu either way so it wasn't an issue.

"A toast to Carly for conquering her enemies and winning her prize," Demak said. He made it sound like he didn't have a choice. Well, I guess there was some convenience issues involved in the decision. I let my head sink back down on the table.

"He means ,well, you know, congratulation on picking a good one," Kiryu translated. I was slowly lifted from my impromptu hiding place. I sat down normally, after much prompting from Yusei. In a better position to grab me, Yusei wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned in and whispered.

"If it makes you feel better, I still have to fight Jack, four or five more times before he'll actually back off," I hadn't thought of that. I couldn't say that was the major thing on my mind right now. We were close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheeks. I took a chance. I pressed my lips to his. There was an immediate response, sweet and simple. The taste of soda and chocolate met each other, to the point were I wasn't sure if the tingling was a reaction in my body or because of the soda. For whatever embarrassment and misunderstandings, we'd suffered. Currently, we ignored it all. The fizzy soda fizzed, the dark signer's chattered, and somewhere in the world Jack sneezed.


End file.
